Shea J. Andrews

I am a genetic epidemiologist and Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco. My research investigates how genetic, environmental, and social determinants of health interact to shape Alzheimer’s disease pathogenesis, with the goal of developing predictive models that support personalized approaches to dementia prevention. Because persistent disparities in Alzheimer’s disease disproportionately affect underrepresented populations, my work places particular emphasis on racial and ethnic differences in disease risk, biomarkers, and health outcomes.

For more than a decade, I have applied genetic epidemiology to large, deeply phenotyped cohorts to clarify the causal pathways linking genetic and environmental risk factors to Alzheimer’s disease. My interdisciplinary research integrates longitudinal cohort data with epidemiologic frameworks to characterize how modifiable risk factors influence clinical progression, biomarker trajectories, and cognitive decline. In parallel, I develop computational workflows for statistical genetics approaches—including genome-wide association studies, genetic correlation, polygenic risk scoring, and Mendelian randomization—to define how genetic variation contributes to disease risk and how those effects are modified by environmental exposures. Together, this work aims to move dementia research beyond population-average risk estimates toward prevention strategies that are earlier, more precise, and more equitable.