Current Research

Currently, our lab has a mix of federally funded grants along with internally funded projects that are underway.

Crest-2 is a NIH funded national study for people with narrowing of the carotid artery, without stroke warning signs caused by that artery. This study is comparing three different methods of stroke prevention including, intensive medical management alone compared to intensive medical management in combination with a procedure to reopen the carotid artery in the neck (called revascularization) using either carotid endarterectomy or stenting. Cognitive PI: Dr. Ronald Lazar

ARCADIA-CSI is a NIH funded ancillary study to the ARCADIA trial in which we will assess cognitive function and silent infarction in a subset of the ARCADIA population, who are either on Apixaban or aspirin for secondary stroke prevention. PI: Dr. Ronald Lazar

HAMMS is a NIH funded grant investigating the association between hippocampal subfield atrophy, systemic inflammation, and cognition in persons with multiple sclerosis. PI: Dr. Adam Gerstenecker

The RENDER II (Neuro-CAD) study is investigating inflammatory effects on hemodynamics using PET MR to take a look at mechanisms involved with Asymptomatic Carotid Artery Disease. PI: Dr. Ronald Lazar

COPE is an exercise study investigating the effects of high intensity cardiovascular exercise on cognition, cerebral blood flow and cerebral oxygen extraction in older sedentary women. PI: Dr. Ronald Lazar      

The goal of our DECLARE (DEcreasing Cognitive Loss and VAscular Rarefaction with Exercise) study is to obtain pilot data to support the hypotheses that an exercise intervention improves cognition by increasing insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), which will be associated with reversal of microvascular rarefaction (loss of vascular density) and reduction of hypertension.