Elena Rodriguez-Vieitez
Researcher | Docent
E-mail: elena.rodriguez-vieitez@ki.se
Visiting address: BioClinicum J10:20, Visionsgatan 4, 17164 Solna
Postal address: H1 Neurobiologi, vårdvetenskap och samhälle, H1 Neurogeriatrik Graff, 171 77 Stockholm
About me
- Docent in Medical Imaging
Senior Researcher
I perform research on multi-modal MRI-PET imaging in Alzheimer’s disease
(AD) and other neurodegenerative disorders in the spectrum of fronto-temporal
degeneration (FTD)
*Supervision of **PhD students*
Nov 2021 – present: Main supervisor of PhD student Mona-Lisa Malarte, KI.
Date of defense: Oct 2023 (expected)
Mar 2022 - present: Co-supervisor of PhD student Melissa Taheri, KI.
Sept 2019 – Oct 2021: Co-supervisor of PhD student Mona-Lisa Malarte, KI.
Sept 2016 – Dec 2019: Co-supervisor of PhD student Arianna Sala,
Vita-Salute San Raffaele University, Milan, Italy.
Jan 2015 – Oct 2018: Co-supervisor of PhD student Antoine Leuzy, KI
*Supervision of master students and research assistants*
Feb – May 2018: Main supervisor of Master Thesis Elisa Colato, University
of Padova, Italy and KI
Aug 2017 – Jan 2018: Main supervisor of Master Thesis Mariam Mazrina,
Uppsala University and KI
Sept 2013 – Jan 2014: Co-supervisor of Master Thesis* *Karen Butina, KI
Feb - Dec 2018: Supervisor of research assistant Mariam Mazrina, KI
*Positions*
Oct 2015 – present: Forskare (Senior Researcher), Dept. Neurobiology, Care
Sciences and Society (NVS), KI
May 2020 - present: Member of NVS Department Board, KI, representative of
Forskare
Nov 2019 - present: Research Affiliate (non-employee), Harvard Aging Brain
Study (HABS), Massachusetts General Hospital & - Harvard Medical School,
Boston, USA
Mar 2020 – present: Course leader, /"Translational Molecular Brain Imaging
in Neurodegenerative Disorders"/ (PhD Course number 3231), Doctoral Programme
in Neuroscience, KI
Jan 2022 - present: Associate Editor of Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease
Sep 2018 – present: Steering Committee member, NeuroPET, Swedish network of
researchers in PET imaging
Jan 2018 – present: Organizing team member, “PhD/postdoc seminars, KI
Div. Clinical Geriatrics and Neurogeriatrics”
Apr 2016 - Apr 2018: Member of Steering Committee, Junior Faculty, KI
*Awards*
Alzheimer’s Association /2021 *De Leon Neuroimaging Prize */*in the Trainee
category (Arianna Sala)*, for journal article: Sala A, Nordberg A,
*Rodriguez-Vieitez E**, ** *Molecular Psychiatry 2020, */JIF/*(2020) 15.99
*2020 Global Mentorship Award, from the EMCC Global Mentor and Coaching
Association *https://www.emccglobal.org/about_emcc/awards/ [1]
*Award for excellence in teaching, University of California at Berkeley*:
2006-2007 Outstanding Graduate Student Instructor Award, UC Berkeley
2013-2014 Wenner-Gren Postdoctoral Fellowship for postdoctoral research at
Karolinska Institutet,
2014 Fundación Barrié de la Maza, award to professional research
trajectory, 26 December
2013 Young Investigator Award, Human Amyloid Imaging Conference, Miami (USA)
2008-2009 Postdoctoral Fellowship Grant, Harvard University
2007-2008 Postdoctoral Fellowship Grant, Stanford University
2007 Postdoctoral Fellowship Fundación Caja Madrid
*Research grants*
2022-2024: Region Stockholm ALF Medicine FoUI-960437
2022: Alzheimerfonden AF-968569 - Demensfonden
- Stohnes
- KI Fonder
2021: Alzheimerfonden AF-939647 - Demensfonden
- Erik &
- Edith Fernström
Foundation for Medical Research - KI Fonder
2020: Alzheimerfonden AF-845821 - Åke Wiberg Foundation
- Demensfonden
- Erik
& - Edith Fernström Foundation for Medical Research
- Olle Engkvist
Foundation - KI Fonder
*Conference organizer*
Spring 2022: Symposium leader at Brain & - BrainPET International Conference,
Glasgow, UK, 28 May – 1 June, 2022, https://brain2022.scot
Sub-Chair for Neuroinflammation, 16th European Molecular Imaging Meeting
(EMIM 2021), 24-27 August 2021, https://e-smi.eu/meetings/emim/emim-2021/
[2]
Member of Program Committee, SPIE 2021, Emerging Topics in Artificial
Intelligence, 1-5 August 2021, virtual
conference, https://spie.org/OP21N/conferencedetails/emerging-topics-in-ai
[3]
PhD Nuclear Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, USA (2007)
MS Civil Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, USA (1998)
BS Physics, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain (1994)
[1] https://www.emccglobal.org/about_emcc/awards/
[2] https://e-smi.eu/meetings/emim/emim-2021/
[3] https://spie.org/OP21N/conferencedetails/emerging-topics-in-ai
Research
- As a Senior Researcher, I lead research projects on MRI-PET imaging to
understand the *dynamics of protein aggregation, neuroinflammation and brain
structural changes in neurodegenerative diseases, from early preclinical
stages of Alzheimer's disease (AD) and fronto-temporal degeneration
(FTD).* In collaboration with clinicians, the ultimate aim of my research
line is to develop early diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers with high
clinical utility.
*Current research projects: *
*1) "Investigate a novel measure of cortical microstructure and its
relationship to protein aggregation in preclinical Alzheimer's disease and
the spectrum of FTD-ALS"*
In this project, I apply a novel diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI)
technique to measure *cortical microstructure as a promising early
diagnostic and prognostic biomarker in preclinical AD and across diverse
neurodegenerative diseases*. In this line of research, I have a
close international collaboration with Patrizia Vannini from Massachusetts
General Hospital / Harvard Medical School, Boston, US, and Juan Fortea and
Victor Montal of Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona.
/"The relationship between cortical microstructural changes and in vivo
amyloid-β and tau in aging and preclinical Alzheimer's disease"/,
*Rodriguez-Vieitez*, Montal, Sepulcre, Lois, Hanseeuw, Vilaplana, Schultz,
Properzi, Scott, Fortea, Johnson, Sperling, and Vannini.
Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
/ Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, MA, USA
/ Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden / Hospital de la Santa Creu i
Sant Pau, Barcelona, Spain / Saint Luc University Hospital, Université
Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium / Brigham and Women's Hospital,
Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
2021 Alzheimer's Association International Conference:
https://twitter.com/elenarv/status/1419997108447416341?s=20& - t=KuH1p9dKxwt9tXrtWb7Wyg
Besides preclinical AD, I have investigated cortical microstructure in
relation to astrocytosis in familial forms of AD:
/“Cortical microstructural correlates of astrocytosis in autosomal-dominant
Alzheimer’s disease", /Vilaplana*, *Rodriguez-Vieitez*, *Ferreira, Montal,
Almkvist, Wall, Lleó, Westman, Graff, Fortea and Nordberg, Neurology
2020 - 94:1 **These authors contributed equally. *IF 8.05, PMID:
32291295 - https://n.neurology.org/content/94/19/e2026 [1]
*2) "Clinical utility of FDG PET imaging in memory clinic patients with
uncertain diagnosis"*
- Clinical utility of FDG PET imaging in memory clinic patients with
uncertain diagnosis, Giulia Perini, MD, University of Pavia, Italy - Agneta
Nordberg, KI, Laetitia Lemoine, KI
*3) "Untangling heterogeneous pathways to Alzheimer's disease by
investigating discordance between amyloid CSF and PET imaging biomarkers"*
A. Sala, A. Nordberg, *E.* *Rodriguez-Vieitez.* "Longitudinal Longitudinal
pathways of cerebrospinal fluid and positron emission tomography biomarkers
of amyloid-β positivity", Molecular Psychiatry 2020, Dec 11 - /JIF/ 12.38
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-020-00950-w [2]
In this study we identifed two alternative pathological pathways leading to
Alzheimer's disease. Using a large longitudinal dataset of amyloid protein
accumulation as measured by brain images and biochemical samples from the
cerebrospinal fluid, we showed that Alzheimer’s-related amyloid pathology
can be detected first in the brain in some individuals, or first in the
cerebrospinal fluid in other individuals, adding to evidence that Alzheimer's
is a heterogeneous disease. These results have biological and clinical
implications.
This research is as part of the EU-funded AMYPAD project, "Amyloid imaging
to prevent Alzheimer's disease", https://amypad.eu [3] (KI principal
investigator: Agneta Nordberg)
*Methods*
Besides image processing and quantification, I have a strong focus on novel
statistical approaches to unravel the associations between brain morphology,
underlying molecular biology changes in the central nervous system and the
periphery, and cognition.
Overall, I have co-authored over 55 peer-reviewed publications in
international journals. I have co-supervised two PhD students and
mentored several master and undergraduate students, collaborate with
clinicians, and currently co-supervise PhD student Mona-Lisa Malarte, KI.
Through my ongoing projects, I plan to strengthen my collaboration with
other national and international research institutions and hospitals, and to
focus on research with high potential for patient benefit.
[1] https://n.neurology.org/content/94/19/e2026
[2] https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-020-00950-w
[3] https://amypad.eu
Teaching
- Course leader in PhD course *"Translational Molecular Brain Imaging in
Neurodegenerative Disorders"* (Spring 2020, 2021, and 2022), Neuroscience
Programme, Karolinska Institutet
Teaching lectures on PET imaging in neurodegenerative disorders at various
courses:
- KI Master in Biomedicine (course leader Louisa Cheung), since 2017
- Stockholm University "Specialist Course in Clinical Neuropsychology: Theory
and Method” (course leader Maria Lindau), since 2017
- KI Advanced Course in Alzheimer’s disease & - other dementias, since 2016
- KI PhD course "Application of molecular biology and molecular brain imaging
techniques in neurodegenerative disorders", 2013, 2016 (course leader Taher
Darreh-Shori)
Articles
- Article: ALZHEIMERS RESEARCH & THERAPY. 2024;16(1):207
- Article: NEUROLOGY. 2024;103(1):e209419
- Article: METHODS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY. 2024;2785:195-218
- Article: MOLECULAR NEURODEGENERATION. 2023;18(1):60
- Article: COMMUNICATIONS MEDICINE. 2023;3(1):106
- Article: BRAIN. 2023;146(3):1132-1140
- Article: MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY. 2022;27(4):2010-2018
- Article: MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY. 2021;26(12):7813-7822
- Article: JOURNAL OF ALZHEIMERS DISEASE. 2021;84(1):103-117
- Article: MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY. 2021;26(10):5864-5874
- Article: NATURE MEDICINE. 2021;27(4):640-646
- Article: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NUCLEAR MEDICINE AND MOLECULAR IMAGING. 2021;48(2):612-622
- Journal article: NEUROLOGY. 2021;96(24):E2944-E2955
- Article: NEUROLOGY. 2020;94(19):e2026-e2036
- Article: BRAIN COMMUNICATIONS. 2020;2(2):fcaa192
- Article: ALZHEIMER'S AND DEMENTIA: DIAGNOSIS, ASSESSMENT AND DISEASE MONITORING. 2019;11:327-332
- Article: NEUROBIOLOGY OF AGING. 2019;82:40-47
- Article: ALZHEIMERS & DEMENTIA. 2019;15(8):1081-1103
- Article: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NUCLEAR MEDICINE AND MOLECULAR IMAGING. 2019;46(6):1369-1382
- Article: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NUCLEAR MEDICINE AND MOLECULAR IMAGING. 2019;46(2):348-356
- Article: CELL BIOLOGY AND TRANSLATIONAL MEDICINE, VOL 14: STEM CELLS IN LINEAGE SPECIFIC DIFFERENTIATION AND DISEASE. 2019;1184:177-186
- Article: ACTA NEUROPATHOLOGICA COMMUNICATIONS. 2018;6(1):130
- Article: MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY. 2018;23(7):1666-1673
- Article: ALZHEIMERS RESEARCH & THERAPY. 2018;10(1):45
- Article: ALZHEIMERS & DEMENTIA. 2018;14(5):652-663
- Article: ALZHEIMER'S AND DEMENTIA: DIAGNOSIS, ASSESSMENT AND DISEASE MONITORING. 2018;10:232-236
- Article: METHODS IN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY. 2018;1750:231-251
- Article: JOURNAL OF THE INTERNATIONAL NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 2017;23(3):195-203
- Article: JOURNAL OF CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW AND METABOLISM. 2017;37(2):740-749
- Article: JOURNAL OF NUCLEAR MEDICINE. 2016;57(7):1071-1077
- Article: BRAIN. 2016;139(Pt 3):922-936
- Article: SCIENTIFIC REPORTS. 2015;5:16404
- Article: PHYSICS LETTERS B. 2015;748:173-177
- Article: JOURNAL OF ALZHEIMERS DISEASE. 2015;47(3):661-667
- Article: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NUCLEAR MEDICINE AND MOLECULAR IMAGING. 2015;42(7):1119-1132
- Article: PHYSICAL REVIEW C. 2012;85(5):054619
- Article: NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS & METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH SECTION A-ACCELERATORS SPECTROMETERS DETECTORS AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT. 2011;648(1):109-113
- Article: PHYSICAL REVIEW C. 2010;81(4):041302
- Article: PHYSICAL REVIEW C. 2010;81(1):011602
- Article: NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS & METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH SECTION B-BEAM INTERACTIONS WITH MATERIALS AND ATOMS. 2009;267(11):1899-1903
- Article: PHYSICAL REVIEW C. 2009;79(4):044609
- Article: PHYSICAL REVIEW C. 2008;78(3):037302
- Article: PHYSICAL REVIEW C. 2008;77(5):054305
- Article: PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS. 2008;100(15):152501
- Article: PHYSICAL REVIEW C. 2007;76(1):014606
- Article: PHYSICAL REVIEW C. 2006;74(3):034313
- Article: PHYSICAL REVIEW C. 2006;73(5):054604
- Article: PHYSICAL REVIEW C. 2005;72(5):054605
- Article: NATURE. 2005;435(7044):922-924
- Article: NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS & METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH SECTION A-ACCELERATORS SPECTROMETERS DETECTORS AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT. 2005;545(1-2):199-209
- Article: PHYSICAL REVIEW LETTERS. 2005;94(4):042501
- Article: PHYSICAL REVIEW C. 2004;69(6):064322
- Article: PHYSICAL REVIEW C. 2003;68(3):037301
- Article: BIOMASS & BIOENERGY. 1999;16(5):299-309
- Show more
All other publications
- Editorial comment: BRAIN. 2024;147(3):746-748
- Editorial comment: BRAIN. 2021;144(11):3283-3285
- Review: NEUROLOGY. 2021;96(24):e2944-e2955
- Review: EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF NUCLEAR MEDICINE AND MOLECULAR IMAGING. 2019;46(13):2831-2847
- Review: MOLECULAR PSYCHIATRY. 2019;24(8):1112-1134
- Review: MOLECULAR NEURODEGENERATION. 2017;12(1):19
- Corrigendum: PHYSICAL REVIEW C. 2007;76(1):019905
- Published conference paper: PHYSICA SCRIPTA. 2006;T125:142-146
- Published conference paper: NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS & METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH SECTION B-BEAM INTERACTIONS WITH MATERIALS AND ATOMS. 2005;241(1-4):931-934
- Published conference paper: WATER SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY. 2000;41(3):231-238
Employments
- Researcher, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet, 2015-
Degrees and Education
- Docent, Karolinska Institutet, 2022