Research in the Pike Lab is broadly focused on Alzheimer’s disease (AD), with the general goals of elucidating factors that regulate AD pathogenesis and pursuing translational strategies for the prevention and treatment of the disease. Our approach to investigating research questions involves the use of complementary cellular, biochemical and molecular techniques to analyze relationships in human tissues, non-transgenic and transgenic rodent models, and cultured cells. Current areas of research focus in the Pike Lab include the role of obesity in AD risk, the contributions of the genetic risk factor APOE4 to AD pathogenesis, sex differences in AD, the relationships between age-related losses of steroid hormones and the development of AD, and interactions among these areas. We seek to identify and elucidate the mechanisms underlying AD risks and use this information to develop therapeutic interventions.