University of California-San Francisco · BiologyCognitive Regeneration Lab
Saul A Villeda · San Francisco, California
Research Focus
Dr. Saul A. Villeda's lab at UCSF focuses on understanding how factors in our blood can help improve cognitive function and regeneration in the aging brain. They study how exercise influences these blood factors and also explore potential therapies for age-related diseases like Alzheimer's. The ultimate goal is to identify ways to reverse cognitive decline and enhance brain function in older adults.
agingcognitionneurodegenerationGpld1platelet factorsexerciseregenerationAlzheimer's diseaseyoung bloodtherapeutics
Research Aims
5AIM 01Investigate the role of Gpld1 in rejuvenating the aged brain.
AIM 02Understand how exercise-induced systemic Gpld1 affects cognition.
AIM 03Determine molecular mechanisms behind Gpld1's effects in neurogenesis.
AIM 04Evaluate the therapeutic potential of platelet factors on cognitive decline.
AIM 05Assess PF4's impact on neuroinflammation in the aged hippocampus.
Skills the Lab Values
animal modelsplasma collectionneurogenesis assessmentin vivo imagingprotein analysisimmunohistochemistryconfocal microscopydata analysisbiochemical assaysRNA sequencing
Output against the department
Publications148top 46% of dept.475th of 1,033
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations9.1ktop 42% of dept.433rd 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.