Research in the Brain Imaging Laboratory utilizes the multiple methods available in the lab to probe the structure, function and neurochemistry of the brain in individuals with these disorders and in those who may be at risk for developing these disorders. Studies with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) are showing that individuals at
risk for neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) have different patterns of brain function earlier in life (in their 40’s) prior to the onset of any clinical symptoms. Research with Parkinson’s patients using positron emission tomography (PET) is being conducted to delineate how abnormalities in the dopamine system express themselves in circuits of the brain influencing not just motor function but also motivational and emotional processes. In addition,
we use non-human primate models of AD and Parkinson’s in conjunction with non-human primate PET imaging on our MicroPET scanner to better understand the neurobiological mechanisms that underlie these devastating disorders.

One of the important keys to research in this general area is the examination of the interaction between specific environmental factors and genetic risk. Increasing evidence suggests that even among individuals with a genetic predisposition toward AD, for example, engaging in certain kinds of cognitively challenging activities results in decreased severity of symptoms. How this interaction comes about is not currently known, but research in the Brain Imaging Laboratory is beginning to probe the mechanisms by which such interactions emerge.

Another major focus of our lab’s research in this area is on the development and understanding of treatments for these disorders. We can monitor treatment progress on human brain function directly to ascertain the extent to which various treatment modalities impact the key substrates and mechanisms that underlie these disorders. As new treatments are developed, we can provide the gold standard against which such treatments can be evaluated.

The opportunity: We work closely with our colleagues in neural stem cell biology to better understand the molecular underpinnings of these disorders and to develop potential new treatments. By combining PET and fMRI, we can obtain a more complete picture of the structure, function and neurochemistry of the brain as it may be affected by new
treatments that are developed. Very few laboratories in the world have these capabilities integrated into a single administrative unit within a research institute that also includes the relevant molecular neurobiology. In addition, by focusing on how environmental factors interact with genetic risk to alter brain function, we occupy a unique niche in helping to provide a more complete understanding of the nature of these disorders and of the varieties of strategies that can be used as antidotes.