Our research aims to understand how cerebrovascular dysfunction contributes to neurodegeneration and dementia in order to identify new therapeutic targets.

We combine molecular approaches with advanced imaging in experimental models, including MRI and microscopy, to investigate the causes and consequences of blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction in ageing and neurodegenerative disease. A central focus of the lab is the interaction between pericytes and endothelial cells that maintain microvascular stability. Disruption of this crosstalk is increasingly recognised as a key driver of vascular dysfunction, inflammation, and metabolic imbalance in the brain.

Using genetic mouse models of pericyte ablation, AAV-based approaches to induce endothelial dysfunction, and models of cerebral amyloidosis, we study how vascular injury develops and propagates across the neurovascular unit. We are particularly interested in the heterogeneity of pericyte and endothelial subpopulations along the arteriovenous axis and how these specialised vascular cells change during ageing and disease.

Ultimately, our goal is to identify mechanisms and therapeutic strategies that preserve BBB integrity and vascular function in cerebral small vessel disease and Alzheimer’s disease.