Dr. Michael Rafii Ranked as #1 Worldwide Researcher for Down Syndrome
ATRI's Michael Rafii has been named number one worldwide for his work on understanding Alzheimer's disease in people with Down syndrome. He has received this remarkable distinction for five years in a row. ScholarGPS's Highly Ranked Scholars are the most productive authors by number of publications. The research works are of profound impact, by number of citations, and of utmost quality (h-index).
The Lancet publication "Reflecting on progress, envisioning the future for research in Down syndrome" is just one recent example of Rafii's work. He has long advocated for the ethical need to offer clinical trials of new Alzheimer's treatments in people with Down syndrome, because of their significantly higher risk of developing the disease. Dr. Rafii's work highlights the importance of this research and the urgency in developing effective treatments tailored to this specific group.
Rafii's advocacy is paying off with the recent launch of the HERO study.
About The h-index:
The quality, or h-index, was named after Jorge E. Hirsch, as a tool for determining relative quality[1] over quantity, and is sometimes called the Hirsch index or Hirsch number.
What is Down syndrome (DS)?
Down syndrome is a genetic condition that happens when a person is born with an extra chromosome, specifically chromosome number 21. Chromosomes are tiny structures inside the cells of the body. They carry information on how your body forms and functions. Having an extra chromosome can affect how a person looks and thinks, but it is not a disease.
Even though Down syndrome is not a disease, it can increase the risk of a common disease called Alzheimer’s Disease.
Down Syndrome and Alzheimer's:
Scientists think that the increased risk of AD, like other health issues associated with Down syndrome, results from the extra genes present. Chromosome 21 plays a key role in the relationship between Down syndrome and Alzheimer’s Disease as it carries a gene that produces one of the key proteins, amyloid protein, involved with changes in the brain associated with Alzheimer’s. The build-up of amyloid protein in the brain disrupts the way brain cells communicate with each other.
By the time most people with Down syndrome hit age 40, they have already developed these plaques. It may take another decade or more to develop symptoms, but eventually up to nine in 10 people with Down syndrome are expected to develop Alzheimer's disease.