Lourdes Gonzalez holding a tissue sample (photo by Steve Zylius) Postmortem neuropathological examination of brain tissue is considered the gold standard for understanding many neurological diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). Although fluid and imaging biomarkers provide scientists and clinicians with valuable insights into the diseases of the brain, these measures are standardized with brain autopsy to give researchers direct evidence needed to confirm diagnoses, study disease processes, and develop future treatments. Neuropathological examination can only be made through the generous gift of brain donation. A new resource website is being launched for brain tissue repositories to help…

Dr. Vivek Swarup has been awarded an Alzheimer's Association Research Grant to study oligodendrocyte dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Dr. Swarup writes that Alzheimer’s disease has long been thought of as a problem of nerve cells, but new evidence shows that support cells called oligodendrocytes (OLs) may also play a direct role in driving the disease. These cells help insulate and protect nerves, but in Alzheimer’s, they appear to malfunction and may even produce harmful amyloid plaques. Our project will test how changes in a key regulator of OL affect its function and Alzheimer’s progression. By targeting OL dysfunction, we…

The Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) has appointed Dr. Karen Lincoln, a faculty member at UCI MIND, as a co-chair of its Environmental Justice Advisory Council (EJAC). This council is dedicated to protecting California communities that face disproportionate exposure to toxic substances. To read more about Dr. Lincoln’s appointment, click here.

UCI News highlighted a newly published study by Drs. Ricardo Santana (pictured left) and Gregory Brewer (pictured right)in the journal, GeroScience, in which they identified a combination of natural compounds that clear away harmful proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease. To read the UCI news article, click here.

Left to right: Elizabeth Andrews and Dr. Elizabeth Head UCI News highlighted a newly published study in Alzheimer's and Dementia led by Elizabeth Andrews, a PhD candidate in Dr. Elizabeth Head’s Lab, showing that women with Down syndrome may develop Alzheimer's disease more rapidly than men. To read the UCI news article, click here.

At the recent Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC), thousands of posters were presented by investigators from around the world. The Alzheimer's Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer's Research and Treatment (ISTAART) is a network of scientists, clinicians and dementia professionals who maintain Professional Interest Areas (PIAs). At AAIC, the leadership of the various PIAs selected trainees’ (graduate students and post-docs) poster for a competition in which the evaluation criteria was scientific impact. Remarkably, 3 UCI MIND trainees were selected. Paul Gaona-Partida (mentor Daniel Gillen) was selected for the Diversity and Disparities PIA for his poster “Assessing syndromic diagnosis and amyloid…

Lisi Flores-Aguilar, PhD, a postdoctoral scholar in the Head Lab, was awarded with the Postdoctoral Best Poster Award for the Down Syndrome and Alzheimer's Disease Professional Interest Area (PIA) at this year's Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC). Her poster "Resilience to Alzheimer's disease in individuals with Down Syndrome” conveyed novel findings of her research. As a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of  Dr. Elizabeth Head, Dr. Lisi Flores-Aguilar studies cerebrovascular contributions to Alzheimer's diseases in individuals with Down syndrome using digital pathology.

Newly published research from UCI MIND scientists shows that people carrying a genetic risk factor (APOE4) for Alzheimer’s disease experience faster and more severe memory loss, but other cognitive abilities remain largely unchanged. The study, published in Neurology and led by MD/PhD student Casey Vanderlip and Professor Craig Stark in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, found that APOE4 specifically affects how and when memory declines in Alzheimer’s disease. While APOE4 is known to increase the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease, this study shows that it also changes the rate of decline, speeding up memory loss while other cognitive abilities…