Alzheimer’s disease doesn’t impact all communities equally, and understanding why may be one of the most urgent questions in public health today. Chad Murchison, Ph.D., assistant professor in the UAB Departments of Neurology and Biostatistics, is helping unravel that mystery not through a microscope but through data.
By blending data science with clinical research, Murchison brings a powerful lens to the study of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD), revealing how social conditions and environmental influences are tied to disease risk and progression.
He partners closely with clinicians and scientists, designing studies and guiding analyses that yield clearer, more meaningful insights into the disease’s mechanisms and risk factors. At its core, his work is about helping researchers across disciplines collaborate more effectively.
“As a collaborative researcher, my focus is helping other investigators build, develop, and implement experimental designs, rigorously apply appropriate statistical analyses, and communicate results in a meaningful and informative fashion,” he explained. “I am particularly interested in multi-modal and translational methods which unify ADRD research across cell, animal, human, and in silico paradigms.”
His personal connection to dementia, , sparked his interest in the field. But it was his move to Birmingham that deepened his understanding of how geography and health disparities intersect.
“I have discovered how many features of the Deep South uniquely impact and influence ADRD,” he stated. “The clearest example is how problems with blood vessels, like high blood pressure or circulation issues, contribute to brain damage, which is particularly common among populations in the Deep South.”
A major focus of Murchison’s current work is the role of social determinants of health (SDOH) in shaping Alzheimer’s outcomes. Factors like income, education, housing, and access to care are increasingly recognized as powerful predictors of health. Yet, measuring and interpreting these factors on a large scale remains challenging.
“There are several areal measures used to summarize social determinants of health, each highlighting different aspects of disparity,” he continued. “While some are more commonly used, I believe there is no one-size-fits-all measure. Different metrics may be more informative and applicable depending on the demographic or geographic context. Determining which ones work best will be essential for guiding targeted interventions at the individual and public health level.”
Murchison’s commitment to refining how we measure health disparities recently earned national recognition. He received a New Investigator Award from the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC) and the Alzheimer’s Association, an honor that will accelerate his research into areal versus individualized metrics of disparity and their associations with Alzheimer’s outcomes.
“This award is a tremendous boost,” he shared. “It supports my efforts to analyze how different forms of disparity affect ADRD and whether aggregate neighborhood-level measures or personalized social data are more predictive. This has real implications for Alabama, where the demographic and social fabric is unlike any other part of the country.”
Looking ahead, Murchison is optimistic about the potential impact of his work.
“This project heavily emphasizes modifiable risk factors for ADRD, conditions which we have the opportunity to influence and alter directly,” he emphasized. “Understanding what factors influence these outcomes and their mechanisms of action at all stages of life, and whether those factors differ among groups, will be critical. This could inform targeted and directed interventions on risk factors to support the exciting advent of disease-modifying therapies.”
With the support of this award and a growing network of collaborators, Murchison is helping transform Alzheimer’s research in ways that may ultimately lead to more effective interventions for patients everywhere.