Danny, a third-year Ph.D. student in the MTI lab, will present his poster entitled “Three-Dimensional Characterization of Cerebral Microvasculature and Microhemorrhages”

Cerebral microhemorrhages (CMH) are small hemorrhages surrounding the brain’s extensive network of blood vessels. They are thought to occur when the integrity of cerebral blood vessels is compromised, leading to deposits of hemosiderin/iron that forms due to the breakdown of red blood cells. The presence of CMH is associated with cognitive decline and ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke. Hypertension is a significant risk factor for cerebral microbleeds. In addition, it has been linked to a more substantial microbleed burden in patients. Despite the clinical significance of hypertension and CMH, our understanding of hypertension-induced microbleed formation remains limited, and the vascular origin of CMH remains obscure. Danny’s work introduces a new technique to image the three-dimensional blood vessel network and the CMH that form in the brain. With these images, he then can use quantitative image analysis to identify the closest vessels nearest to each CMH. His findings suggest that CMH originate from capillary-size vessels in this model of hypertension.

Danny’s ability to perform high-resolution three-dimensional imaging of thick brain specimens is expected to improve our understanding of the vascular origins of CMH. This knowledge can lead to the development of new treatment approaches that reduce the risk of CMH formation.