Following her PhD graduation in December 2024, Dr. Zhang is currently preparing a manuscript based on her dissertation research. The study provides new insight into the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive reserve in Alzheimer’s disease.
Her work demonstrates that resting-state system segregation helps explain the discrepancies often observed between Alzheimer’s pathology, structural brain changes, and cognitive performance in adults. Strikingly, individuals with amyloid-β (Aβ) accumulation who remain cognitively unimpaired exhibit higher system segregation than those who are cognitively impaired—highlighting a potential neural basis for cognitive reserve.
Dr. Zhang is now incorporating feedback from coauthors and aims to submit the manuscript to Nature Medicine in April 2025. We’re looking forward to seeing this important work shared with the broader scientific community!