I received my Ph.D. from the University of Washington in 2019 in Dr. Ricky Wang’s lab. My thesis focused on the development of optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) to image cerebrovasculature and blood flow in the mouse brain and study cerebrovascular diseases. By developing multiparametric OCTA, I have characterized the vasodynamics of cerebral pial, penetrating arterioles and capillary network in mouse model of ischemic stroke. This work has improved our understanding of leptomeningeal collateral recruitment in the recovery of brain function during ischemic injury. Towards the end of my graduate study, I have grown a strong interest in studying neurovascular function in age-related cognitive disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). I joined Dr. Shih’s lab to receive training on neurophysiology and multiphoton imaging, which will enable me to decipher the neurovascular unit in order to study AD etiology. My current focus in the lab is to perform deep brain imaging in mice to characterize the neurovascular cell types and hemodynamics in the gray and white matter. My long-term goal is to capture early vascular pathology leading to cognitive impairment, which we hope will identify targets for treatment of cognitive decline. Besides my passion in brain imaging, I play piano, love cooking and enjoy spending time with my child.

Yuandong.Li@Seattlechildrens.org