Welcome to the website for CLARiTI's research portfolio projects, including our new TDP43 Summit. This page features information on events and initiatives from the CLARiTI team at University of Wisconsin. The NIA funded nationwide CLARiTI study website is https://clariti.naccdata.org/.

Save the Date for TDP-43 Summit 2026

May 19 - 21, 2026 in Madison, Wisconsin

by invitation only

RSVP to Get Updates

2025 Summit Program Highlights

Summit recordings and slides are now available for registrants.

https://alamarbio.com/tdp43-summit-2025-resources/

ALZFORUM Coverage of the 2025 Summit

TDP-43 Conference Marks Concerted Effort to Finally Snag Biomarkers

Co-hosted by

Henrik Zetterberg, MD, PhD

Professor of Neurochemistry,
University of Gothenburg

Hartmuth Kolb, PhD

Chief Scientific Officer,
Enigma Biomedical USA

Sterling Johnson, PhD
Principal Investigator, CLARiTI,
Professor of Geriatrics and Dementia,
University of Wisconsin - Madison

2025 Archives
TDP43 Summit

June 12, 2025
8:15 AM - 4:30 PM CT

Virtual from Madison, WI

Zoom Link: https://uwmadison.zoom.us/j/99251000149

On June 12, 2025, the University of Wisconsin–Madison will host a landmark summit focused on accelerating biomarker discovery for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias involving TDP-43. The daylong event, "Advancing TDP-43 Biomarkers from Discovery to Application", will bring together top global scientists to explore emerging opportunities for diagnosing and monitoring progression in TDP-43 neurodegenerative conditions with greater precision.

The Summit is to be hosted by Dr. Sterling Johnson, alongside his longtime collaborators and leaders in the field, Dr. Henrik Zetterberg and Dr. Hartmuth Kolb.

While biomarkers for amyloid and tau have already transformed Alzheimer’s research and care, the next frontier includes advancing diagnostic capabilities for TDP-43, a key pathological protein involved in disorders such as LATE (limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy), ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), and FTD (frontotemporal dementia).

The summit convenes experts across clinical, pathological, imaging, and translational domains to chart the path from early discovery to clinical implementation.

Clinical Presentation

The program begins with a focus on how TDP-43-related neurodegeneration appears in patients and brain imaging.

• David Wolk, MD will discuss clinical and imaging markers of LATE.

• Adam Boxer, MD, PhD will present fluid biomarker changes across FTLDs.

• Brad Boeve, MD will explore variable clinical phenotypes in the ALLFTD Consortium.

These talks highlight the urgent need for sensitive, non-invasive diagnostic methods for conditions that currently go undetected until late in the disease course.

Pathology

Speakers will delve into the origins and mechanisms of TDP-43 pathology.

• Sami Barmada, MD, PhD will examine how TDP-43 dysfunction arises in ALS and FTD.

• Andy Qi, PhD will present on the molecular pathways driving TDP-43 aggregation.

• Caitlin Latimer, MD, PhD will discuss clinicopathologic overlaps between LATE and Alzheimer’s disease, underscoring the complexity of mixed pathologies in aging populations.

Imaging

The summit spotlights cutting-edge research in visualizing TDP-43 in living brains.

• Katrin Szardenings, PhD and Tamara Seredenina, PhD will present new developments in PET ligands that specifically target TDP-43.

• Gregg Day, MD will introduce the Bio-RaPID imaging platform, and multimodal biomarkers to invorm the drivers of rapidly progressive dementia.

• Tamara Seredenina, PhD will discuss discovery and preclinical development of [18F]ACI-19626.

Plasma Biomarkers

Progress in detecting TDP-43 through blood-based tests will be a key theme.

• Rob Rissman, PhD will highlight extracellular vesicle signals in plasma.

• Phil Wong, PhD will share findings on cryptic HDGFL2 as a promising biomarker in the WRAP study.

• Leonard Petrucelli, MD, PhD will discuss disease mechanisms linked to TDP-43.

• Nick Ashton, PhD and Bob Bowser, PhD will explore fluid- and platelet-based biomarker strategies, pointing toward more scalable, minimally invasive diagnostic options.

Expert Panel: From Discovery to Application

The summit will conclude with a forward-looking panel discussion featuring perspectives from science, industry, and regulatory policy.

Panelists include:

• Billy Dunn, MD

• Samantha Budd Haeberlein, PhD

• Hartmuth Kolb, PhD

• Henrik Zetterberg, MD, PhD

Together, they will examine the challenges and opportunities in moving TDP-43 biomarkers into clinical use—from validation and standardization to cross-sector collaboration.

The 2025 TDP-43 Summit is hosted by the Wisconsin Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center and the national CLARiTI study (Consortium for Clarity in ADRD Research Through Imaging), a groundbreaking initiative unifying MRI and PET imaging efforts across the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers (ADRC) network.

By fostering cross-disciplinary exchange and highlighting innovative tools on the horizon, this summit serves as a launchpad for the next generation of dementia diagnostics.