Molecular Psychiatry: Astrocyte Biomarker Signatures of Amyloid-β and Tau Pathologies in Alzheimer’s Disease
In Alzheimer’s disease, reactive astrocytes can play an important role in the pathophysiology of the disease. Amyloid-β and tau tangles—the two main pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease—are associated with astrocyte reactivity. However, knowledge about...
Pitt Psychiatry Awarded $33.5M NIH Program Project Grant Focused on the Pathological and Clinical Progression of AD
The National Institute on Aging (NIA) has awarded the University of Pittsburgh Department of Psychiatry a Program Project Grant (PPG) renewal for “The role of astrogliosis in aging and the pathological and clinical progression of Alzheimer's disease.” The Alzheimer’s...
Study Challenges Dogma Behind Alzheimer’s Disease Drug Trials
PITTSBURGH - Contrary to early studies, brain levels of enzymes that regulate DNA-folding drop as Alzheimer’s disease progresses, neuroscientists from the University of Pittsburgh, McGill University and Harvard University reported today...
Pitt Psychiatry Faculty Members Invited to Contribute to World Alzheimer Report
In fall 2021, Alzheimer’s Disease International published World Alzheimer Report 2021: Journey though the diagnosis of dementia, a compendium of research on the disease, currently the seventh leading cause of mortality worldwide. The report addresses numerous...
Nature Medicine: Microglial Activation Is Involved in the Spread of Tau Tangles in Alzheimer’s Disease
Investigators including Pitt Psychiatry’s Tharick Pascoal, MD, PhD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology), have published a paper in Nature Medicine investigating the correlation between microglial activation, abnormal tau tangles (a...
Is Inflammation In The Brain Causing Alzheimer’s Disease?
The brain of a person with Alzheimer’s disease has a few hallmark traits. First, a buildup of plaques made of proteins called amyloid beta. Second, are tangles of another protein, called tau, within individual neurons. A third major indicator is inflammation. While...
Brain Tissue Inflammation Drives Alzheimer’s Disease
PITTSBURGH – Neuroinflammation is the key driver of the spread of pathologically misfolded proteins in the brain and causes cognitive impairment in patients with Alzheimer’s disease, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh School of...
Pitt Psychiatry Hosts a Tremendous Research “Half” Day
On June 9, 2021, the Department of Psychiatry held its 2nd virtual Research Day, featuring presentations on health equity research, a speed dat(a)ing session, a keynote address, and honors and awards. The event was billed as a Research “Half” Day, as we hope and...
Pitt Psychiatry Investigators Report New Findings in Alzheimer’s Disease and Dementia & Late-Life Depression Research
Acta Neuropathologica: Plasma P-Tau231, A New Biomarker for Incipient Alzheimer's Disease Pathology Scientists including Tharick Pascoal, MD, PhD (Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology) from Pitt Psychiatry have published the discovery and...
Cutting-edge Research in Alzheimer’s Disease Biomarkers: Introducing Victor Villemagne and Tharick Pascoal
We are pleased to announce that Victor Villemagne, MD, has joined the faculty as Professor of Psychiatry, and Tharick Pascoal, MD, PhD, has been appointed Assistant Professor of Psychiatry. Dr. Villemagne and Dr. Pascoal are widely recognized experts in...
Modeling Associations Between Pathological Pathways in the Progression of Alzheimer’s Disease Using PET Imaging
Dr. Tharick Pascoal is a clinical neurologist and a post-doctoral fellow at Douglas Hospital, McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Through his research, he aims to develop therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative diseases through the identification of biomarkers of...