University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill · GeneticsThe Cognition Initiative
Laura M Raffield · Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Research Focus
Dr. Laura Raffield's lab focuses on understanding the factors that contribute to cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease, particularly among Black American populations. The research investigates the role of inflammation and immune system functioning in these communities by studying biomarkers in blood samples and immune cells, aiming to identify biological mechanisms and risk factors for dementia. By analyzing large datasets, the lab hopes to uncover non-invasive methods for predicting Alzheimer's risk and improve our understanding of how social determinants of health affect cognitive function.
Alzheimer's diseasecognitive impairmentinflammationimmune cellsbiomarkersBlack Americansproteomicschronic inflammationsocial determinants of healthgenetics
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate the relationship between inflammation and cognitive impairment in Black and White adults.
AIM 02Identify proteomic biomarkers that predict Alzheimer's disease risk.
AIM 03Characterize immune cell profiles in African American populations at risk for dementia.
AIM 04Explore the impact of social determinants of health on cognitive function.
AIM 05Integrate genetic data with proteomic findings to uncover biological mechanisms of dementia.
Skills the Lab Values
PCRimmune cell phenotypingplasma protein analysisRNA sequencingmagnetic resonance imaging (MRI)longitudinal cohort studiesdata analysis in epidemiologybiostatisticsclinical sample collectionbioinformatics
Output against the department
Publications487top 14% of dept.37th of 259
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations18ktop 32% of dept.83rd of 259
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.