University of California-Irvine · BiologyHead Neuroinflammation Lab
Elizabeth Head · Irvine, California
Research Focus
Dr. Elizabeth Head's research focuses on Alzheimer's disease and how to potentially slow its progression using specific medications. Her lab studies the effects of a drug called tacrolimus in aging beagle dogs, which can show signs of cognitive decline similar to humans. By measuring cognitive outcomes, biological markers, and brain health, the goal is to understand if targeting a specific pathway in the brain can serve as a new treatment strategy for Alzheimer's in humans.
Alzheimer's Diseasecalcineurintacrolimusneuroinflammationcognitive declinedog modelbiomarkerslongitudinal study
Research Aims
4AIM 01Assess the cognitive outcomes of tacrolimus treatment in aging beagles.
AIM 02Measure AD biomarkers in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid.
AIM 03Evaluate brain health using MRI imaging.
AIM 04Investigate changes in neuropathology related to Alzheimer's disease.
Skills the Lab Values
animal handlingcognitive testingplasma and CSF biomarker analysisMRI imagingdata collection and analysisdrug administrationneuroanatomy techniquesexperimental design
Output against the department
Publications573top 5% of dept.54th of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations38ktop 8% of dept.79th of 1,033
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.