# Connectome-based spread of neurodegenerative processes in Alzheimer's disease

> **NIH NIH K99** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO · 2020 · $126,630

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) is characterized by the presence of β-amyloid plaques, tau-containing neurofibrillary
tangles, and neuronal loss; yet, little is known about the development and spread of neurodegenerative
processes. Recent progress in neuroimaging has enabled the detection of the main features of the AD
pathophysiological cascade using positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI),
allowing researchers to track the development of the disease in vivo.
Candidate & environment. The candidate’s career goal is to become an independent investigator and lead
imaging research to elucidate the mechanisms underlying Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and develop precision
medicine tools tailored towards individual patients. During this K award, the candidate will extend his expertise
in multimodal neuroimaging by receiving additional training in connectivity analyses and will acquire expertise in
network science and mathematical modeling. This new skill set will allow him to pursue innovative research
projects testing hypotheses about the spread of AD pathology. The candidate will have access to large datasets
of state-of-the-art PET and MRI data; he will be working with a multi-disciplinary team of world-renowned mentors
and collaborators with expertise spanning imaging, behavioral neurology, bioengineering, pathology and
statistics. The exceptional resources and diverse scientific community at the UCSF Memory and Aging Center
will provide an ideal environment for the candidate’s training and will foster his growth as a future successful
independent investigator.
Research project. The research project proposed herein aims to use longitudinal human neuroimaging to test
a disease model informed by basic science, postulating that i) tau originates in focal areas (“epicenters”) and
progresses throughout the brain via pre-existing connections, and that ii) tau triggers local neuronal loss.
Analyses will rely on PET with a radiotracer for tau pathology and structural MRI to measure brain atrophy, a
proxy for neuronal loss, in patients in the early clinical stages of AD (mild cognitive impairment or dementia due
to AD). The candidate will use an established network diffusion model to quantify how imaging abnormalities
conform to and progress along the brain structural connectome. Specifically, he will use this diffusion model to
infer prior disease states, i.e. identify tau epicenters in individual patients (Aim 1), and to predict future tau spread
(Aim 2). Baseline tau-PET will then be used to predict future brain atrophy (Aim 3). The combined use of state-
of-the-art multimodal imaging and mathematical modeling will not only allow the candidate to test hypotheses
about mechanisms of disease spread, but will also inform the development of patient-tailored measures of
disease progression with implications for the design of more efficient clinical trials.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9871707
- **Project number:** 1K99AG065501-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN FRANCISCO
- **Principal Investigator:** Renaud Charles La Joie
- **Activity code:** K99 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $126,630
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-02-01 → 2022-01-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9871707

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9871707, Connectome-based spread of neurodegenerative processes in Alzheimer's disease (1K99AG065501-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9871707. Licensed CC0.

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