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Sylvia Perez, PhD
Tau, Splicing, Dementia
Sylvia Perez, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Translational Neuroscience at Barrow Neurological Institute.
Dr. Perez’s expertise includes comparative neuroanatomy, with a focus on the biochemistry and connectivity of the cholinergic basal forebrain systems as well as on β-amyloid and tau pathology in Alzheimer’s disease, Down syndrome, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. She is a member of the Society for Neuroscience.
Dr. Perez received her PhD in neuroanatomy from the University of Santiago de Compostela. She completed postdoctoral fellowships in neuroanatomy at the University of A Coruña and at the Consellería de Educación e Ciencias da Xunta de Galicia and in neurobiology at Rush University Medical Center.
Dr. Perez’s research interests include the neurobiology of the prodromal stage of Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment. She also studies the role of tau in Down syndrome and dementia and the role of alpha-synuclein in the neurodegeneration of the cholinergic basal forebrain in Parkinson’s disease.
- Postdoctoral Fellowship, Rush University Medical Center, Department of Neurological Sciences, Neurobiology, 2002-2004
- Postdoctoral Fellowship, Rush University Medical Center, Department of Neurological Sciences, Neurobiology, 2000-2001
- Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of A Coruña, Neuroanatomy, 2000
- Postdoctoral Fellowship, Consellería de Educación e Ciencias da Xunta de Galicia, Neuroanatomy, 2000
- PhD, University of Santiago de Compostela, Neuroanatomy, 1998
- Predoctoral Fellowship, University of Santiago de Compostela, Neuroanatomy, 1995-1996
- Licentiate in Biology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Fundamental Biology, 1992
- Society for Neuroscience
- Arizona Alzheimer’s Disease Consortium at Barrow Neurological Institute Award, “Cortical tau pathologic signature: A biomarker for Down syndrome with and without dementia,” 2018-2019
- Arizona Alzheimer’s Disease Consortium at Barrow Neurological Institute Award, “Epigenetic dysregulation in cholinergic neurons in PD dementia,” 2016-2017
- Brinson Foundation Award, 2014-2015
- Rush University Research Council Pilot Award, 2009-2010
- Rush Department of Neurological Sciences Pilot Award, “Beta-amyloid induces cholinergic striatal dysfunction in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease.”
- Extraordinary Award for Doctoral Thesis, University of Santiago de Compostela, Biology Faculty, 1998
Neurosurgery as a Catalyst for Global Health and Surgery Targets: Road to 2030 Highlights from World Health Organization's 78th World Health Assembly
Date: 11/2025
Authors: Noor Alesawy, Nicole A. Perez, Piper Tingleaf, Ramya Reddy, Walter Johnson, Kerry A. Vaughan, Eylem Ocal, Tariq Khan, Kemel A. Ghotme, Jeffrey Blount, Mohammad Ali Aziz-Sultan, Kee B. Park, Gail Rosseau
The Neurosurgeon's Role in the Brain Economy: How Strategic Investment in Neurosurgical Care and Innovation Will Improve Global Outcomes
Date: 10/2025
Authors: Daniela A. Perez-Chadid, Riya M. Dange, Harris A. Eyre, Graham Fieggen, Kerry A. Vaughan, Sameer A. Sheth, Jafri Malin Abdullah, Bello B. Shehu, Daniel Donoho, Samuel Browd, Agustin Ibanez, Saksham Gupta, Frederick Lang, Anil Nanda, Gail Rosseau
Spliceosome protein alterations differentiate hubs of the default mode connectome during the progression of Alzheimer's disease
Date: 09/2025
Authors: Sylvia E. Perez, Muhammad Nadeem, Bin He, Jennifer C. Miguel, David G. Moreno, Marta Moreno-Rodriguez, Michael Malek-Ahmadi, Chadwick M. Hales, Elliott J. Mufson
Cholinotrophic basal forebrain connectome dysfunction in Down syndrome with and without dementia
Date: 08/2025
Authors: Marta Moreno-Rodriguez, Sylvia E. Perez, Muhammad Nadeem, Elizabeth Head, Elliott J. Mufson
U1-70K and U1A and tau pathogenesis in demented and non-demented individuals with Down syndrome
Date: 08/2025
Authors: Sylvia E. Perez, Jennifer C. Miguel, Muhammad Nadeem, Michael Malek-Ahmadi, Chadwick M. Hales, Elizabeth Head, Elliott J. Mufson
Sylvia Perez, PhD
Tau, Splicing, Dementia
Sylvia Perez, PhD, is an associate professor in the Department of Translational Neuroscience at Barrow Neurological Institute.
Dr. Perez’s expertise includes comparative neuroanatomy, with a focus on the biochemistry and connectivity of the cholinergic basal forebrain systems as well as on β-amyloid and tau pathology in Alzheimer’s disease, Down syndrome, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. She is a member of the Society for Neuroscience.
Dr. Perez received her PhD in neuroanatomy from the University of Santiago de Compostela. She completed postdoctoral fellowships in neuroanatomy at the University of A Coruña and at the Consellería de Educación e Ciencias da Xunta de Galicia and in neurobiology at Rush University Medical Center.
Dr. Perez’s research interests include the neurobiology of the prodromal stage of Alzheimer’s disease and mild cognitive impairment. She also studies the role of tau in Down syndrome and dementia and the role of alpha-synuclein in the neurodegeneration of the cholinergic basal forebrain in Parkinson’s disease.
- Postdoctoral Fellowship, Rush University Medical Center, Department of Neurological Sciences, Neurobiology, 2002-2004
- Postdoctoral Fellowship, Rush University Medical Center, Department of Neurological Sciences, Neurobiology, 2000-2001
- Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of A Coruña, Neuroanatomy, 2000
- Postdoctoral Fellowship, Consellería de Educación e Ciencias da Xunta de Galicia, Neuroanatomy, 2000
- PhD, University of Santiago de Compostela, Neuroanatomy, 1998
- Predoctoral Fellowship, University of Santiago de Compostela, Neuroanatomy, 1995-1996
- Licentiate in Biology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Fundamental Biology, 1992
- Society for Neuroscience
- Arizona Alzheimer’s Disease Consortium at Barrow Neurological Institute Award, “Cortical tau pathologic signature: A biomarker for Down syndrome with and without dementia,” 2018-2019
- Arizona Alzheimer’s Disease Consortium at Barrow Neurological Institute Award, “Epigenetic dysregulation in cholinergic neurons in PD dementia,” 2016-2017
- Brinson Foundation Award, 2014-2015
- Rush University Research Council Pilot Award, 2009-2010
- Rush Department of Neurological Sciences Pilot Award, “Beta-amyloid induces cholinergic striatal dysfunction in a transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer’s disease.”
- Extraordinary Award for Doctoral Thesis, University of Santiago de Compostela, Biology Faculty, 1998
Neurosurgery as a Catalyst for Global Health and Surgery Targets: Road to 2030 Highlights from World Health Organization's 78th World Health Assembly
Date: 11/2025
Authors: Noor Alesawy, Nicole A. Perez, Piper Tingleaf, Ramya Reddy, Walter Johnson, Kerry A. Vaughan, Eylem Ocal, Tariq Khan, Kemel A. Ghotme, Jeffrey Blount, Mohammad Ali Aziz-Sultan, Kee B. Park, Gail Rosseau
The Neurosurgeon's Role in the Brain Economy: How Strategic Investment in Neurosurgical Care and Innovation Will Improve Global Outcomes
Date: 10/2025
Authors: Daniela A. Perez-Chadid, Riya M. Dange, Harris A. Eyre, Graham Fieggen, Kerry A. Vaughan, Sameer A. Sheth, Jafri Malin Abdullah, Bello B. Shehu, Daniel Donoho, Samuel Browd, Agustin Ibanez, Saksham Gupta, Frederick Lang, Anil Nanda, Gail Rosseau
Spliceosome protein alterations differentiate hubs of the default mode connectome during the progression of Alzheimer's disease
Date: 09/2025
Authors: Sylvia E. Perez, Muhammad Nadeem, Bin He, Jennifer C. Miguel, David G. Moreno, Marta Moreno-Rodriguez, Michael Malek-Ahmadi, Chadwick M. Hales, Elliott J. Mufson
Cholinotrophic basal forebrain connectome dysfunction in Down syndrome with and without dementia
Date: 08/2025
Authors: Marta Moreno-Rodriguez, Sylvia E. Perez, Muhammad Nadeem, Elizabeth Head, Elliott J. Mufson
U1-70K and U1A and tau pathogenesis in demented and non-demented individuals with Down syndrome
Date: 08/2025
Authors: Sylvia E. Perez, Jennifer C. Miguel, Muhammad Nadeem, Michael Malek-Ahmadi, Chadwick M. Hales, Elizabeth Head, Elliott J. Mufson