DLN: Mapping early brain network changes in neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular disorders: a longitudinal perspective, Prof. Helen Zhou
Event details
| Date | 19.01.2021 |
| Hour | 12:15 › 13:00 |
| Speaker | Prof Juan (Helen) Zhou |
| Location |
Online
Online
|
| Category | Conferences - Seminars |
Abstract
The spatial patterning of each neurodegenerative disease relates closely to a distinct structural and functional network in the human brain. This talk will mainly describe how brain network-sensitive neuroimaging methods such as resting-state fMRI and diffusion MRI can shed light on brain network dysfunctions associated with pathology and cognitive decline from preclinical to clinical dementia. I will first present our findings from two independent datasets on how amyloid and cerebrovascular pathology influence brain functional networks cross-sectionally and longitudinally in individuals with mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Evidence on longitudinal functional network organizational changes in healthy older adults and the influence of APOE genotype will be presented. In the second part, I will describe our work on how different pathology influences brain structural network and white matter microstructure. I will also touch on some new data on how brain network integrity contributes to behavior and disease progression using multivariate or machine learning approaches. These findings underscore the importance of studying selective brain network vulnerability instead of individual region and longitudinal design. Further developed with machine learning approaches, multimodal network-specific imaging signatures will help reveal disease mechanisms and facilitate early detection, prognosis and treatment search of neuropsychiatric disorders.
Dr. Juan (Helen) Zhou is an Associate Professor and Principal Investigator of the Multimodal Neuroimaging in Neuropsychiatric Disorders Laboratory in the Center for Sleep and Cognition, Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS). She also holds a joint appointment with Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders Program at Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School, Singapore. Dr. Zhou serves as the Deputy Director, Center for Translational Magnetic Resonance Research MR operations at Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. Her research focuses on the network-based vulnerability hypothesis in disease. Her lab studies the human neural bases of cognitive functions and the associated vulnerability patterns in aging and neuropsychiatric disorders using multimodal neuroimaging methods, psychophysical techniques, and machine learning approaches.
Prior to joining NUS in 2011, Helen was an associate research scientist in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (New York University). She did a two-year post-doctoral fellowship at the Memory and Aging Centre (Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco), from 2008 to 2010. Helen received her Bachelor degree in Computer Science with first class honour (First class, 3.5 years accelerated) in 2003 and her Ph.D. in Neuroimaging in 2008 from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. She is the recipient of undergraduate scholarship from Ministry of Education, Singapore (1998-2003) and the nominee for Lee Kuan Yew Gold Medal and the Institution of Engineers Singapore Gold Medal, Singapore in 2004.
Helen has published in a number of journals such as Neuron, Brain, PNAS, Neurology, NeuroImage, and Molecular Psychiatry and has been the recipient of research support from National Medical Research Council and Biomedical Research Council, Singapore as well as the Royal Society, UK. She serves as reviewers and editors for a number of journals (NeuroImage, Human Brain Mapping, Communications Biology) and grants. She is the Council – Secretary and Program Committee Member of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping. She is a member of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping, Society for Neuroscience, International Society to Advance Alzheimer’s Research and Treatment, International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, and American Academy of Neurology.
The spatial patterning of each neurodegenerative disease relates closely to a distinct structural and functional network in the human brain. This talk will mainly describe how brain network-sensitive neuroimaging methods such as resting-state fMRI and diffusion MRI can shed light on brain network dysfunctions associated with pathology and cognitive decline from preclinical to clinical dementia. I will first present our findings from two independent datasets on how amyloid and cerebrovascular pathology influence brain functional networks cross-sectionally and longitudinally in individuals with mild cognitive impairment and dementia. Evidence on longitudinal functional network organizational changes in healthy older adults and the influence of APOE genotype will be presented. In the second part, I will describe our work on how different pathology influences brain structural network and white matter microstructure. I will also touch on some new data on how brain network integrity contributes to behavior and disease progression using multivariate or machine learning approaches. These findings underscore the importance of studying selective brain network vulnerability instead of individual region and longitudinal design. Further developed with machine learning approaches, multimodal network-specific imaging signatures will help reveal disease mechanisms and facilitate early detection, prognosis and treatment search of neuropsychiatric disorders.
Dr. Juan (Helen) Zhou is an Associate Professor and Principal Investigator of the Multimodal Neuroimaging in Neuropsychiatric Disorders Laboratory in the Center for Sleep and Cognition, Department of Medicine, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS). She also holds a joint appointment with Neuroscience and Behavioral Disorders Program at Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School, Singapore. Dr. Zhou serves as the Deputy Director, Center for Translational Magnetic Resonance Research MR operations at Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine. Her research focuses on the network-based vulnerability hypothesis in disease. Her lab studies the human neural bases of cognitive functions and the associated vulnerability patterns in aging and neuropsychiatric disorders using multimodal neuroimaging methods, psychophysical techniques, and machine learning approaches.
Prior to joining NUS in 2011, Helen was an associate research scientist in the Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry (New York University). She did a two-year post-doctoral fellowship at the Memory and Aging Centre (Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco), from 2008 to 2010. Helen received her Bachelor degree in Computer Science with first class honour (First class, 3.5 years accelerated) in 2003 and her Ph.D. in Neuroimaging in 2008 from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. She is the recipient of undergraduate scholarship from Ministry of Education, Singapore (1998-2003) and the nominee for Lee Kuan Yew Gold Medal and the Institution of Engineers Singapore Gold Medal, Singapore in 2004.
Helen has published in a number of journals such as Neuron, Brain, PNAS, Neurology, NeuroImage, and Molecular Psychiatry and has been the recipient of research support from National Medical Research Council and Biomedical Research Council, Singapore as well as the Royal Society, UK. She serves as reviewers and editors for a number of journals (NeuroImage, Human Brain Mapping, Communications Biology) and grants. She is the Council – Secretary and Program Committee Member of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping. She is a member of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping, Society for Neuroscience, International Society to Advance Alzheimer’s Research and Treatment, International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, and American Academy of Neurology.
Practical information
- Informed public
- Free