Small Vessel Pathology in Neurodegeneration (SPiN Lab)

Using multimodal imaging and pathology to explore the crosslinks between cerebral small vessel disease and neurodegeneration.

Research

Our lab investigates the complex interplay between cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) and neurodegeneration, with a focus on how vascular pathologies such as arteriolosclerosis and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) contribute to Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Ultimately, our goal is to uncover novel targets for early intervention and prevention of cognitive decline.

Ongoing studies aim to elucidate the mechanisms by which microvascular injury is linked to the accumulation of proteinopathies like amyloid-β and tau, with an emphasis on brain clearance dysfunction and blood brain barrier leakage. Furthermore, we investigate the role of subcortical vascular pathology and enlarged perivascular spaces in driving white matter injury. To address these questions, we employ a multimodal approach, combining in vivo and ultra-high-resolution ex vivo neuroimaging, AI-based quantitative pathology, three-dimensional histology, and super-resolution microscopy.

MRI scan of a human brain with highlighted areas in blue and green, indicating different regions or abnormalities.

The Team

  • A woman with long brown hair smiling outdoors, wearing a blue dress, gold hoop earrings, and a necklace with a pendant

    Valentina Perosa, MD, PhD (She/Her)

    Principal Investigator – Assistant Professor of Neurology

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  • A young woman with long brown hair, smiling, wearing a white blouse with black and blue floral pattern, gold hoop earrings, in front of a dark gray background.

    Johanna Rotta, MD (she/her)

    Postdoctoral Fellow

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  • A woman in graduation gown and cap holding a bouquet of flowers, standing on a white stone balcony with colorful traditional Asian temple architecture in the background.

    Yuan Cao, MD, PhD (she/her)

    Postdoctoral Fellow

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  • Professional portrait of a woman with shoulder-length dark brown hair, wearing a white blazer over a light pink blouse, and small earrings, against a plain white background.

    Suzete NAscimiento Farias Da Guarda, MD, PhD (she/her)

    Postdoctoral Fellow

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  • Smiling woman in graduation gown holding a diploma outdoors in a park.

    Soumya S. Vytla, BS (she/her)

    Research Technician

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  • Young man with short hair and a gold necklace sitting indoors at a restaurant, smiling slightly.

    Menab Said, BS (he/him)

    Research Assistant

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  • Shaneva Edwards-Harris, BS (She/her)

    Research Technician

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Alumni and Affiliated Lab Members

  • A smiling woman with glasses and wavy hair, dressed in a black shirt and a gray short-sleeve button-up over it, standing indoors near a wooden railing with large windows in the background showing an outdoor scene with trees and a pathway.

    Kali vom Eigen, BA (they/she)

    Research Technician

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  • A man with glasses, a beard, and a bald head smiling, wearing a dark gray sweater with a white shirt underneath, standing against a plain light-colored background.

    Thijs van Harten, PhD (he/him)

    Postdoctoral fellow

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Contact us.

vperosa@mgh.harvard.edu

175 Cambridge Street, Suite 300, 02114 Boston  MA