Three scientific homes. Research that crosses boundaries.
As the science represented at HAI continues to evolve, the HAI Program Committee has refined the scientific framework used for abstract submission and program development.
The objective is not to create artificial boundaries between increasingly interconnected areas of research. It is to give each abstract a clear scientific home while allowing work that crosses methodologies, modalities and applications to be properly identified.
Includes
Studies focused on the development, evaluation, validation, or optimization of imaging and biomarker methods, including tracer development and evaluation; pharmacokinetic and quantitative modeling; methods to improve quantification, accuracy, reproducibility, or harmonization; image acquisition, reconstruction, processing, and analysis methods; development, refinement, or validation of biofluid-based biomarker methods; new technologies and assays; computational and analytical methods; and methodological approaches integrating imaging, biofluid, or other biomarker modalities.
Does not primarily include
Studies in which established imaging, biofluid, or other biomarker methods are principally being used to address a clinical, disease-progression, therapeutic, or neuropathological question rather than to develop, evaluate, or advance the methodology itself.
Includes
Studies examining the clinical and biological significance and application of imaging and related biomarkers across the disease continuum, including relationships with cognition, symptoms, diagnosis and clinical phenotype; prognosis and disease progression; risk, resilience, and heterogeneity; longitudinal and multimodal studies; participant characterization and stratification; biomarker relationships across stages of disease; therapeutic response and treatment effects; clinical trials and therapeutic development; and translation of biomarkers into clinical research and practice.
Does not primarily include
Studies whose principal contribution is the technical development, validation, or optimization of an imaging or biofluid biomarker method, tracer, or quantitative approach; or studies in which the principal scientific question concerns the relationship between biomarkers and neuropathologically defined disease or pathology.
Includes
Studies in which neuropathology is central to the scientific question, including studies linking imaging (PET, MRI), biofluid (plasma, CSF), clinical, or other biomarker measures with diagnostic neuropathology stages or scores; quantitative neuropathology measures; regional distributions and burdens of neuropathologic lesions; neuropathologic diagnoses; molecular or cellular pathologic findings; and clinicopathologic and biomarker-pathology correlations relevant to Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. This may also include evaluation of neuropathology methods when used to validate or interpret imaging or biofluid analyses.
Does not primarily include
Studies that use terms such as amyloid, tau, or other pathology to describe findings measured by PET imaging or other biomarkers without substantive neuropathological analysis of brain tissue. Likewise, the use of brain tissue, autopsy material, neuropathology specimens, or pathology-derived samples does not by itself make a study a Neuropathology abstract. Neuropathology must be substantive to the scientific question, validation, endpoint, or interpretation. Studies without such a substantive neuropathologic component—and studies whose principal contribution is otherwise methodological or predominantly clinical—should instead be submitted to the primary theme reflecting the central scientific question.
Some HAI research naturally spans scientific themes, methodologies and biomarker modalities. These areas are therefore not separate primary themes. Submitters should first select the primary theme that best reflects the principal scientific question or contribution of the abstract and may then identify applicable cross-cutting areas.
Applies to
Research involving plasma, CSF, or other biofluid-based biomarkers, including new technologies and assays; methodological development, refinement, validation, and quantification; biological and clinical interpretation; longitudinal applications; and integration with imaging, neuropathology, clinical measures, or other biomarker modalities.
Where does it belong?
A study focused on developing or refining a biofluid method may primarily belong in Technical / Methods. A study using fluid biomarkers to investigate disease progression, prognosis, therapeutic response, or clinical utility may primarily belong in Clinical. A study relating fluid biomarkers to neuropathologically defined disease, staging, or quantitative pathology may primarily belong in Neuropathology.
Applies to
Research using artificial intelligence, machine learning, advanced computational approaches, or data-driven modeling to analyze, integrate, interpret, or predict from imaging, biofluid, clinical, neuropathologic, or multimodal data.
Where does it belong?
Development or validation of the computational methodology itself may primarily belong in Technical / Methods. Application to disease, prognosis, treatment, or other clinical questions may primarily belong in Clinical. Applications principally addressing neuropathologic questions may primarily belong in Neuropathology.
Applies to
Research involving therapeutic development and clinical trials, including biomarker-based participant selection or stratification; target engagement; treatment response; safety monitoring; trial endpoints; disease modification; biomarker qualification or validation for therapeutic studies; and imaging or other biomarkers used to inform therapeutic development.
Where does it belong?
Development or validation of a novel quantitative or methodological endpoint may primarily belong in Technical / Methods. Studies principally examining treatment effects, response, participant characteristics, or clinical utility may primarily belong in Clinical. Studies using neuropathology as a central therapeutic or validation endpoint may primarily belong in Neuropathology.
Still not sure where your abstract belongs?
These themes guide abstract submission, scientific review, and program development for HAI 2027.
Submission deadline: October 23, 2026