Research projects, funding, and publications

This project applies Mendelian randomization and related causal inference approaches to evaluate whether genetic liability for AD causally influences markers of cerebral small vessel disease (cSVD), including white matter hyperintensities.

​

NIH funded

This project characterizes the longitudinal trajectory of plasma proteomic markers — particularly in the context of oligodendrocytes/demyelination and the AT(N) framework — in relation to cSVD burden and progression, using mixed-effects models, generalized estimating equations, and trajectory-based analytic frameworks applied to deeply phenotyped cohort data.

​

BrightFocus Foundation funded

We examine heterogeneity in neuropathologic findings at death and how distinct pathologic profiles correspond to antemortem cognitive impairment and trajectories of cognitive decline in autopsy-confirmed cohorts with rich longitudinal clinical data. We have a particular interest in the independent, additive, and interactive effects of vascular neuropathologies in the presence of co-pathologies, including Alzheimer’s disease neuropathologic change (ADNC), Lewy body disease (LBD), and TDP-43 pathology / limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy neuropathologic change (LATE-NC).

We investigate how hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and smoking contribute to brain aging and dementia risk. Our work examines how these vascular risk profiles are associated with cognitive performance, trajectories of cognitive decline, and dementia onset across the life course. We further evaluate their relationships with neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular pathology at death, as well as functional outcomes such as mobility and daily functioning. By integrating clinical, epidemiologic, and neuropathologic data, this line of research aims to clarify shared mechanisms linking cardiovascular health and dementia and to identify modifiable targets for prevention and intervention.