University of Illinois Chicago · BiologyTai Neurovascular Lab
Leon Maing Tai · Chicago, Illinois
Research Focus
Dr. Leon Maing Tai's research lab at the University of Illinois at Chicago focuses on understanding how specific genetic factors impact the health of blood vessels in the brain, particularly in the context of diseases like Alzheimer's. By studying the role of a protein called APOE, which comes in different forms that affect brain function, the lab aims to uncover the underlying mechanisms of neurovascular dysfunction that leads to cognitive decline. This research is significant as it may lead to new insights and therapies for neurodegenerative diseases related to aging.
neurovascular functionAPOEAlzheimer's diseasebrain endothelial cellscognitive healthgenetic risk factorsneurodegenerationcellular mechanismsvascular biology
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate how APOE4 affects brain endothelial cell function.
AIM 02Identify cellular pathways disrupted by APOE4 in neurovascular health.
AIM 03Examine the impact of APOE genotype on cognitive decline in aging populations.
AIM 04Explore potential therapeutic strategies targeting neurovascular dysfunction.
AIM 05Analyze the relationship between neuroinflammation and APOE genotype.
Skills the Lab Values
cell culturemolecular biology techniquesimmunohistochemistryRNA extractionPCRWestern blotanimal modelsdata analysismicroscopyhigh-throughput screening
Output against the department
Publications10bottom 1% of dept.1,020th of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations0bottom 1% of dept.1,029th 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.