Professor of Anesthesiology, Yale School of Medicine
Trained as a physician scientist in anesthesiology with a focus on neuroanesthesiology, Helene Benveniste was one of the first researchers to elucidate the glymphatic system in the brain. Her current work investigates the ability of the brain to “wash” itself, which has important implications for overall brain function and health. Uncovering the drivers of “neurofluid” circulation in the brain that is critical for waste clearance will help define how waste such as amyloid beta and tau builds up in Alzheimer’s disease. Once these drivers are defined, Dr. Benveniste and other scientists in the field can develop therapeutic strategies to sustain it throughout a person’s lifespan.
“Without the support from Cure Alzheimer’s Fund I would not have been able to further develop our imaging approaches to study the coupling of the glymphatic-lymphatic systems in Alzheimer’s disease. Most importantly, I would not have been able to cross-fertilize my knowledge with expert scientists in alternate fields (e.g., neuroimmunology, blood-brain barrier, quantitative proteomics/biochemistry, genetics, microfluidics). This has fast-forwarded work in my lab as well as my trainees.
“My inspiration: Working with a multidisciplinary group of scientists focused on a common research goal. Being part of a consortium and learning from each other. Learning by also training the next generation of scientists and having the privilege to watch them succeed.”