The Vascular Senescence and Cognition (VaSC) Lab is dedicated to the characterization of cognitive decline associated with age-related changes in vascular structure and function. Cognitive aging, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia represent cognitive disorders associated with aging, neurodegenerative disease, and cerebrovascular disease. Our work is focused on improving our understanding of how aging of the vascular system may contribute to these disorders. We are also specifically interested in how vascular function may impact pathophysiological brain changes that represent the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease. The goal of these studies is to improve our understanding of age-related neurodegenerative disease and our ability to identify at risk individuals during the earliest stage of disease when preventative efforts may be most effective.
Current Projects
- Characterization of circulating angiogenic cell function in patients with age-related cognitive decline and mild cognitive impairment (MCI)
- Investigation of novel neuroimaging-based markers of age-related cerebrovascular dysfunction
- Development of neuropsychological measures sensitive to subtle cognitive changes in older adults
- Investigation of blood-based markers of vascular aging