Why collaborate with us?
By collaborating, we can overcome limitations and conduct more extensive and comprehensive studies. Our internationally recognized team would love to work with you to enhance the quality of our studies by leveraging each other's expertise and continuing to validate our findings. This synergistic approach will help us enhance the quality of life for individuals and patients dealing with cognitive impairments and related disorders.
Increasing evidence suggests that systemic and cerebral vascular dysfunction plays a role in cognitive aging and neurodegeneration. The link between systemic vascular dysfunction and AD pathogenesis is not clear, but animal models show a state of diffuse decrease in NO bioavailability. We have observed in our research an association between arterial stiffness and brain amyloid deposition, which has been reported by other investigators. We have worked on developing a “vascular toolbox” that assesses the structure and dynamics of systemic/cerebral vasculature. Our ongoing work in this area will advance our understanding of the role of both systemic and cerebral circulatory function will affect our brain health.
Our work over the last 15 years have shown that drugs that modulate the renin angiotensin system (RAS) have a positive effect on brain health including cognition and cerebrovascular function. My initial observation in a post-mortem analysis of the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (NACC) revealed that ARBs, more so than ACEI, are linked with lower AD neuropathology. A pilot clinical trial demonstrated that Candesartan, more so than Lisinopril or Thiazide, is associated with favorable cognitive outcomes in MCI. In the last 5 years, we completed 2 ongoing NIH-funded clinical showing positive effects on both VCI and Amyloid pathology in MCI. This are is a key focus of development in this program.
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has wreaked havoc on the health, emotional and economic well-being of millions of individuals, both nationally and internationally. Also, alarming trends showed that African Americans (AA), especially older AA, have been impacted the most. They are overrepresented in the rate of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-related hospitalization and mortality relative to the US population. Those who survive the infection may have long-term lingering symptoms, termed “long COVID”, “long-haulers” or “post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC)”. Neurological involvement is evident in both acute COVID-19 and PASC with neurocognitive symptoms, commonly described as “brain fog”, being one of the most frequently reported sequelae. The interplay of Post-COVID Cognitive Impairment superimposed over a pre-existing greater risk for cognitive disorders including Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related disorders (ADRD) in AA remains to be described. This a focus of our recently funded study.