Translational Neuroimaging Laboratory (TNL) develops neuroimaging techniques and analytical frameworks for modeling neurodegenerative processes including deposition of protein aggregates, metabolic abnormalities, cell transport systems and neuroreceptors dysfunction. The laboratory encompasses a cohesive multidisciplinary team conducting integrative and multimodal neuroimaging research in human disease as well as disease models. TNL collaborates with an extensive network of laboratories and is committed to scientific training in the field of neuroimaging.

Pedro Rosa-Neto, MD, PhD, is a clinical neurologist who is interested in the structural changes that occur in the brain as a result of neurodegenerative disease, such as Alzheimer’s disease. His studies involve using brain-imaging techniques including positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to observe and measure these changes.

Lab Members:

Tharick Ali Pascoal, M.D, Neurologist
Maxime Parent, M.Sc.
Andréa Lessa Benedet, M.Sc.
Lucas Schilling, M.D, Neurologist.
Monica Shin
Seqian Wang
Min Su Peter Kang
Sulantha Mathotaarachchi
Arturo Aliaga
Silvana Aguzzi
Thomas Beaudry

Alumni:

Daliah Farajat
Jessica Diciero
Laksanun Cheewakriengkrai, M.D, Neurologist
José Roberto Wajman, Ph.D, Neuropsychologist
Sarinporn Manitsirikul, M.D, Neurologist
Jonathan DuBois, M.Sc
Eduardo Rigon Zimmer, M.Sc.
Jared Rowley, M.Sc.
Dorothee Schoemaker
Liyong Wu, M.D, Ph.D, Neurologist
Luciano Minuzzi, Ph.D, Psychiatry
David Elmenhost, M.Sc.
Thiago Hartmann, M.D, Psychiatrist
Betteke van Noort, M.Sc.
Ricardo Soder M.D, Ph.D, Radiologist
Alexandre Pinault, Ph.D.
Donghyeon Kim, M.Sc.
Aurore Menegaux, M.Sc.
Carmen Denecke
Daniel Kony

Outstanding young academics interested in neuroimaging and neurodegeneration are encouraged to apply for positions in our laboratory. Due to the multidisciplinary activities in the lab, we accept students with academic degrees such as biochemistry, chemistry, computer science, statistics, engineering, mathematics, neuroscience, physics, economics, pharmacology, psychology and medicine.

Key publications

Imaging in vivo glutamate fluctuations with [11C]ABP688: a GLT-1 challenge with ceftriaxone. Zimmer ER, Parent MJ, Leuzy A, Aliaga A, Aliaga A, Moquin L, S Schirrmacher E, Soucy JP, Skelin I, Gratton A, Gauthier S, Rosa-Neto P. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2015 Mar 25. doi: 10.1038/jcbfm.2015.35. [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 25806702

MicroPET imaging and transgenic models: a blueprint for Alzheimer’s disease clinical research. Zimmer ER, Parent MJ, Cuello AC, Gauthier S, Rosa-Neto P. Trends Neurosci. 2014 Nov;37(11):629-41. doi: 10.1016/j.tins.2014.07.002. Epub 2014 Aug 20. PMID: 25151336

In vivo characterization of metabotropic glutamate receptor type 5 abnormalities in behavioral variant FTD. Leuzy A, Zimmer ER, Dubois J, Pruessner J, Cooperman C, Soucy JP, Kostikov A, Schirmaccher E, Désautels R, Gauthier S, Rosa-Neto P. Brain Struct Funct. 2015 Jan 18. PMID: 25596865

Limbic system mGluR5 availability in cocaine dependent subjects: a high-resolution PET [(11)C]ABP688 study. Milella MS, Marengo L, Larcher K, Fotros A, Dagher A, Rosa-Neto P, Benkelfat C, Leyton M. Neuroimage. 2014 Sep;98:195-202. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2014.04.061. Epub 2014 May 2.PMID: 24795154

Resting state executive control network adaptations in amnestic mild cognitive impairment. Wu L, Soder RB, Schoemaker D, Carbonnell F, Sziklas V, Rowley J, Mohades S, Fonov V, Bellec P, Dagher A, Shmuel A, Jia J, Gauthier S, Rosa-Neto P. J Alzheimers Dis. 2014;40(4):993-1004. doi: 10.3233/JAD-131574. PMID: 24583406

Fluid biomarkers for diagnosing dementia: rationale and the Canadian Consensus on Diagnosis and Treatment of Dementia recommendations for Canadian physicians. Rosa-Neto P, Hsiung GY, Masellis M; CCDTD4 participants. Alzheimers Res Ther. 2013 Nov 25;5(Suppl 1):S8. doi: 10.1186/alzrt223. Epub 2013 Nov 25. PMID: 24565514

Cholinergic Depletion in Alzheimer’s Disease Shown by [ (18) F]FEOBV Autoradiography. Parent MJ, Bedard MA, Aliaga A, Minuzzi L, Mechawar N, Soucy JP, Schirrmacher E, Kostikov A, Gauthier SG, Rosa-Neto P. Int J Mol Imaging. 2013;2013:205045. doi: 10.1155/2013/205045. Epub 2013 Nov 10.

Dementia: Disclosure of results to participants in dementia research. Gauthier S, Rosa-Neto P. Nat Rev Neurol. 2013 Nov;9(11):608-9. doi: 10.1038/nrneurol.2013.213. Epub 2013 Oct 22. No abstract available. PMID: 2414537

Concordance between in vivo and postmortem measurements of cholinergic denervation in rats using PET with [18F]FEOBV and choline acetyltransferase immunochemistry. Parent MJ, Cyr M, Aliaga A, Kostikov A, Schirrmacher E, Soucy JP, Mechawar N, Rosa-Neto P, Bedard MA. EJNMMI Res. 2013 Oct 9;3(1):70. doi: 10.1186/2191-219X-3-70. PMID: 24103360

White matter abnormalities and structural hippocampal disconnections in amnestic mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease. Rowley J, Fonov V, Wu O, Eskildsen SF, Schoemaker D, Wu L, Mohades S, Shin M, Sziklas V, Cheewakriengkrai L, Shmuel A, Dagher A, Gauthier S, Rosa-Neto P; Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. PLoS One. 2013 Sep 27;8(9):e74776. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0074776. eCollection 2013. PMID: 24086371

PET imaging of cholinergic deficits in rats using [18F]fluoroethoxybenzovesamicol ([18F]FEOBV). Parent M, Bedard MA, Aliaga A, Soucy JP, Landry St-Pierre E, Cyr M, Kostikov A, Schirrmacher E, Massarweh G, Rosa-Neto P. Neuroimage. 2012 Aug 1;62(1):555-61. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2012.04.032. Epub 2012 Apr 25.

Test-retest stability of cerebral mGluR? quantification using [¹¹C]ABP688 and positron emission tomography in rats. Elmenhorst D, Aliaga A, Bauer A, Rosa-Neto P. Synapse. 2012 Jun;66(6):552-60. doi: 10.1002/syn.21542. Epub 2012 Mar 16. PMID: 2229076

In vivo and in vitro validation of reference tissue models for the mGluR(5) ligand [(11)C]ABP688. Elmenhorst D, Minuzzi L, Aliaga A, Rowley J, Massarweh G, Diksic M, Bauer A, Rosa-Neto P. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2010 Aug;30(8):1538-49. doi: 10.1038/jcbfm.2010.65. Epub 2010 Jun 9. PMID: 20531460

Age- and gender-related differences in the cortical anatomical network. Gong G, Rosa-Neto P, Carbonell F, Chen ZJ, He Y, Evans AC. J Neurosci. 2009 Dec 16;29(50):15684-93. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2308-09.2009. PMID: 20016083

Human brain white matter atlas: identification and assignment of common anatomical structures in superficial white matter. Oishi K, Zilles K, Amunts K, Faria A, Jiang H, Li X, Akhter K, Hua K, Woods R, Toga AW, Pike GB, Rosa-Neto P, Evans A, Zhang J, Huang H, Miller MI, van Zijl PC, Mazziotta J, Mori S. Neuroimage. 2008 Nov 15;43(3):447-57. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2008.07.009. Epub 2008 Jul 18. PMID: 18692144

Correlation between serotonin synthesis and 5-HT1A receptor binding in the living human brain: a combined alpha-[11C]MT and [18F]MPPF positron emission tomography study. Frey BN, Rosa-Neto P, Lubarsky S, Diksic M. Neuroimage. 2008 Aug 15;42(2):850-7. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2008.05.009. Epub 2008 May 17. PMID: 18583156