Yuguang (Irene) Zhao
I received my bachelor’s degree in Finance from Shandong University of Finance and Economics in China. While working as an accountant in a bank, I became interested in cognitive psychology, especially in human factors and executive function. In 2014 I joined the master program in Applied Cognition and Neuroscience in University of Texas at Dallas, then I finished my doctoral training there with Dr. Bart Rypma. My training focused on using novel functional MRI techniques to study the metabolism and blood perfusion of the aging brain. These physiological resources gradually decrease across the lifespan, with notable reductions beginning as early as mid-life. Deficiencies in these resources can lead to brain dysfunction and may serve as indicative markers of early changes in brain function. I’m very excited to apply my knowledge and skills to the BEACoN project to gain a more comprehensive picture of the preclinical Alzheimer’s disease.
Lab Research Projects
I contribute to the following research areas in the Translational Neuroscience Laboratory.
- Cerebral Metabolism, Blood Flow & Alzheimer’s Disease
- Neurovascular Coupling and Cognitive Aging
My current research interest is the coupling between metabolism demand and supply in the brain, and how this coupling and decoupling interact with healthy aging and the trajectories of Alzheimer’s disease.
Turner, M., Zhao, Y., Abdelkarim, D., Liu, P., Hutchison, J.L., Sivakolundu, D. K., Spence, J., Thomas, B.P., Hubbard, N., Taneja, K., Lu, H. & Rypma, B. (2022). Altered linear coupling between stimulus-evoked blood flow and oxygen metabolism in the aging human brain. Cerebral Cortex, 33(1), 135-151.
Zhao, Y., Liu, P., Turner, M. P., Abdelkarim, D., Lu, H., & Rypma, B. (2021). The neural-vascular basis of age-related processing speed decline. Psychophysiology, 58(7), e13845.
Taneja, K., Liu, P., Xu, C., Turner, M., Zhao, Y., Abdelkarim, D., … & Lu, H. (2020). Quantitative Cerebrovascular Reactivity in Normal Aging: Comparison Between Phase-Contrast and Arterial Spin Labeling MRI. Frontiers in Neurology, 11.
Yabluchanskiy, A., Nyul-Toth, A., Csiszar, A., Gulej, R., Saunders, D., Towner, R., Turner, M., Zhao, Y., Abdelkarim, D., Rypma, B., & Tarantini, S. (2020). Age-related alterations in the cerebrovasculature affect neurovascular coupling and BOLD fMRI responses: Insights from animal models of aging. Psychophysiology, e13718.
Sivakolundu, D. K., West, K. L., Zuppichini, M., Turner, M. P., Abdelkarim, D., Zhao, Y., … & Rypma, B. (2020). The neurovascular basis of processing speed differences in humans: A model-systems approach using multiple sclerosis. NeuroImage, 116812.
Turner, M. P., Fischer, H., Sivakolundu, D. K., Hubbard, N. A., Zhao, Y., Rypma, B., & Bäckman, L. (2020). Age-differential relationships among dopamine D1 binding potential, fusiform BOLD signal, and face-recognition performance. NeuroImage, 206, 116232.
Abdelkarim, D., Zhao, Y., Turner, M. P., Sivakolundu, D. K., Lu, H., & Rypma, B. (2019). A neural-vascular complex of age-related changes in the human brain: Anatomy, physiology, and implications for neurocognitive aging. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, 107, 927-944.
Sivakolundu, D. K., West, K. L., Maruthy, G. B., Zuppichini, M., Turner, M. P., Abdelkarim, D., Zhao, Y., Nguyen, D., Spence, J.S., Lu, H. and Okuda, D.T., (2019). Reduced arterial compliance along the cerebrovascular tree predicts cognitive slowing in multiple sclerosis: Evidence for a neurovascular uncoupling hypothesis. Multiple Sclerosis Journal, 1352458519866605.
West, K. L., Zuppichini, M. D., Turner, M. P., Sivakolundu, D. K., Zhao, Y., Abdelkarim, D., … & Rypma, B. (2019). BOLD hemodynamic response function changes significantly with healthy aging. NeuroImage, 188, 198-207.
2021 Trainee Professional Development Award (TPDA) of Society for Neurosciences
2019 Dianne Cash Fellowship
2019 Lyda Hill Distinguished New Scientist Award
What the lab means to me…
“The lab is an open, collaborative, and joyful environment where not only can I learn a great deal from others, but it also fosters the cultivation of ideas.”
