Research and Awards News from the Pascoal Lab: The Lancet, the American Society for Clinical Investigation, and the Society of Biological Psychiatry
The Pascoal Lab (Principal Investigator: Tharick Pascoal, MD, PhD; Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology) focuses on the quantification of brain pathophysiology in patients with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, as well as in the validation of therapies capable of modifying the course of these diseases. Dr. Pascoal is a global leader in Alzheimer’s disease biomarker research, particularly through his pioneering investigations into tau pathology. Recent news from the Pascoal Lab includes impactful new research published in The Lancet, membership with the American Society for Clinical Investigation, and the Society of Biological Psychiatry A.E. Bennett Award.
Comparison of [18F]flortaucipir and [18F]MK6240 for the detection of tau pathology in Alzheimer’s disease (HEAD): a multicentre, prospective, cross-sectional, within-participant study
In The Lancet, Guilherme Povala, PhD (Postdoctoral Associate), and Bruna Bellaver, PhD (Research Assistant Professor of Psychiatry), published results of a trial demonstrating that tau PET pathology is more prevalent and relevant among individuals at risk for dementia than previously recognized. In addition, the investigators introduce a novel analytic framework that enhances the detection and characterization of early tau accumulation, with important implications for clinical practice.
“Tau tangle pathology has emerged as the most consequential driver of cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease. The HEAD study shows that we can detect it earlier and more reliably than before, opening a path to redefine how we understand the disease and select patients for available and emerging disease-modifying therapies,” said Dr. Pascoal.
Firoza Lussier, Msc (Research Program Administrator); Guilherme Bauer-Negrini, PhD (Postdoctoral Associate); Pamela Lukasewicz Ferreira, PhD (Research Assistant Professor of Psychiatry); Andréia Rocha, PhD (Postdoctoral Associate); Emma Ruppert, MD (Postdoctoral Associate); Marina Scop Medeiros, MD Postdoctoral Associate); and Dana Tudorascu, PhD (Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Biostatistics), from Pitt Psychiatry, additionally contributed to the study.
Povala G, Bellaver B, Lussier FZ, Amaral L, Bauer-Negrini G, Ferreira PCL, Rocha A, Ruppert E, Medeiros MS, Tissot C, Jagust WJ, Masdeu JC, Fortea J, Tudorascu DL, Soleimani-Meigooni DN, Lowe V, Oh H, Pascual B, Gordon BA, Rosa-Neto P, Baker S, Pascoal TA, on behalf of the HEAD Study
Lancet 2026; 407: 2217–2226
American Society for Clinical Investigation
Dr. Pascoal was elected as a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI). Founded in 1908, the ASCI is dedicated to the advancement of research that extends our understanding and improves the treatment of diseases of all people. Membership in the ASCI is by election only, and serves as a recognition of a researcher’s significant contributions, at a relatively young age, to the understanding of human disease. Dr. Pascoal was welcomed as a new member at the organization’s annual meeting this spring.
Society of Biological Psychiatry
Dr. Pascoal received the Society for Biological Psychiatry (SOBP) A.E. Bennett Award for Clinical/Translational research at the recent annual SOBP meeting in New York.