Evelyn Lake, PhD

My research emphasizes the application of imaging technologies to characterize the neuro-vascular processes that govern brain function in health and disease. In my lab, we use both non-invasive (magnetic resonance imaging, or MRI) and moderately-invasive imaging methods (fluorescence calcium, or Ca²⁺) to better understand the neuro-vascular underpinnings of neurological disorders. Specifically, we interleave these different imaging techniques to characterize the processes governing disease progression – and recovery – in the presence and absence of treatment.

This combined approach leads to a better understanding of disease, that is linked to measures using the same imaging modality available in clinical populations. The outcomes from our work influence preclinical study design for novel treatment strategies, as well as the interpretation of clinical data.

Achieving a more complete understanding of brain function requires multiple imaging modalities, each with complementary strengths. Multimodal tools have either been limited in applicability or largely unavailable. But by merging these modalities, we can simultaneously acquire whole-brain blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) and whole-cortex calcium-sensitive fluorescent measures of brain activity. Recognizing this, my lab implements a unique apparatus for making concurrent wide-field optical and functional MRI (fMRI) measurements.