The Nelson lab is currently investigating whether Alzheimer's disease related amyloid-beta causes brain pericytes to contract, reducing cerebral blood flow and compromising blood-brain barrier integrity. Also, we are investigating pathways of pericyte degeneration and blood-brain barrier dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease and are particularly interested in post-translational modifications and expression level changes of key receptors at the blood-brain barrier. Additionally, we recently started new studies examining if infections play a role in Alzheimer’s disease.
