Andrew received his B.Sc. from the University of Sunderland, UK, and his Ph.D. from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK. His research initially focused on genetic determinants of dementia. After postdoctoral work at the Mayo Clinic, Andrew moved to the National Institute on Aging. He became a senior investigator there in 2007, and Laboratory Chief in 2008. In 2016 he became an NIH Distinguished Investigator. In 2021 Andrew became the Director of the new Center for Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias (CARD) within the Intramural Research Program of the National Institutes of Health.
Andrew has published more than 700 articles. His group works on the genetic basis of neurological disorders including Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, dystonia, ataxia, dementia with Lewy bodies, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The goal of this research is to identify genetic variability that causes or contributes to disease and to use this knowledge to understand the molecular processes underlying disease.
Andrew serves on several advisory and editorial boards. He has received the Annemarie Opprecht Award for Parkinson’s disease research, the Jay van Andel Award for Outstanding Achievement in Parkinson’s Disease Research, the American Academy of Neurology Movement Disorders Award, the Robert A Pritzker Prize for Leadership in Parkinson’s Disease, and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Sunderland.