Dried Plasma Spot Testing for Alzheimer's Detection Webinar

Abstract

Early detection is critical to changing the trajectory of Alzheimer’s disease (AD), yet population-level screening remains limited by cost, logistics, and access to specialized testing infrastructure. In this webinar, Professor Yokoyama will discuss the scientific and clinical importance of population screening for Alzheimer’s disease, highlighting how recent advances in blood-based biomarkers are reshaping early detection, risk stratification, and longitudinal monitoring. The session will explore what it will take to move these tools beyond specialized centers and into large-scale, real-world screening programs. The webinar will also introduce an emerging Dried Plasma Spot (DPS) testing paradigm that combines ambient-stable sample collection with ultrasensitive biomarker detection on widely available qPCR systems. This approach enables decentralized sample collection, simplified shipping, and significantly lower testing costs – key enablers for scalable AD screening and research studies. Attendees will gain insight into how DPS-based biomarker testing can help close the gap between biomarker science and accessible, population-scale Alzheimer’s Disease screening.

Key takeaways

Early detection is critical to changing the trajectory of AD, yet population-level screening remains limited by cost, logistics, and the need for specialized testing infrastructure.
DPS testing combines ambient-stable collection with ultrasensitive qPCR detection to support decentralized sampling, easier shipping, and lower costs for scalable AD screening.
DPS-based biomarker testing can help bridge the gap between biomarker science and accessible, population-scale Alzheimer’s disease screening.

Speakers

Jennifer Yokoyama, PhD

Jennifer Yokoyama, PhD, is an associate professor at the UCSF Edward and Pearl Fein Memory and Aging Center, where she leads a research program focused on the neurogenetics of aging. Her work focuses on understanding how genetic variation affects brain physiology, cognition, and behavior in older adults, as well as how these factors contribute to vulnerability or resilience to neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Yokoyama is particularly committed to studying these effects in diverse global populations, with the goal of identifying genetic factors that inform early interventions and therapeutic strategies

Taylor Johnson

Taylor joined the Yokoyama Lab at the Memory and Aging Center from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where he studied both microbiology and enology. Taylor also helps manage the Biospecimens Core. Prior to his start at UCSF, Taylor worked as a Research Assistant at Cal Poly in cell culture, utilizing various commercial probiotics and Vibrio parahaemolyticus to understand human intestinal epithelial and immune cell relationships upon probiotic and pathogenic challenge.