Posted 11/11/2008

S.C. Alzheimer’s Disease Registry, the most comprehensive
in the nation, has been maintained since 1988

Dr. William K. Scott

University of Miami researcher Dr. William K. Scott will speak on the genetics of Alzheimer’s Disease and its implications for public health during a Nov. 20 colloquium at the Arnold School’s Public Health Research Center.

The colloquium is being held in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the South Carolina Alzheimer’s Disease Registry, a comprehensive registry of Palmetto State residents diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease or related disorders.

The most comprehensive registry of its kind in the United States, the Alzheimer’s Disease Registry has been maintained since 1988.

Scott, a professor of human genetics and associate director for informatics in the Miami Institute for Human Genomics, will speak from 5-6 p.m. in the PHRC’s auditorium. A reception will follow in the lobby.

Scott is a genetic epidemiologist interested in the influence of genetic and environmental factors on infectious diseases and complex traits associated with aging.

He directs studies of genetic susceptibility to tuberculosis and of longevity and successful aging in the Amish communities of Indiana and Ohio.

Scott is currently involved in studies of environmental risk factors and gene-environment interactions in aging related traits such as Parkinson disease and age-related macular degeneration.

He recently attracted national attention when Miami Institute for Human Genomics researchers found that individuals genetically prone to Parkinson’s who smoke cigarettes and drink coffee are less likely to develop the disease than predisposed individuals who haven’t smoked or imbibed as much.

A related study identified possible links between Parkinson disease and exposure to pesticides.

The South Carolina Alzheimer’s Disease Registry is maintained by the Arnold School in cooperation with the S.C. Department of Health and Human Services, the S.C. Department of Mental Health, the USC School of Medicine, and the S.C. State Budget and Control Board.