Dr Hannah Chandler

Overview

Research summary

The brain requires a constant supply of energy, where the flow of blood via an intricate network of blood vessels needs to be well choreographed to meet tissue energy demands. My research has revealed that young individuals with an increased genetic risk for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) have significantly reduced cerebral blood flow that remains consistent across the lifespan, where higher regional AD-risk gene expression is associated with reduced cerebral blood flow. My research along with others in the field of dementia has shown that breakdown in the regulation of the brain’s vascular system is one of the earliest detectable changes in Alzheimer’s disease. Therefore, targeting the brain’s vascular system for preventative strategies may help to alleviate vascular dysregulation in those at risk, and delay the progression of AD related pathophysiology.

I have supported the validation of novel MRI methods that have clinical utility for diagnosing vascular dysregulation in disease. I am now applying these novel MRI imaging methods to a number of clinical cohorts including multiple sclerosis, dementia, epilepsy, and rheumatoid arthritis. My work also involves the use of PET imaging methodologies to assess brain physiology. As an ECR in PET imaging I have teamed up with Dr Mattia Veronese and Professor Federico Turkheimer at King’s College London where we co-founded the PET Partnership UK (PPUK). The PPUK was developed to enable larger scale collaborations across the UK and beyond to tackle important research questions in the study of disease. It also provides a resource for ECR’s to find support with PET imaging study design, data collection and analysis.

For PPUK see: https://petpartnershipuk.com