MUSMedical University of South Carolina · Neuroscience
White Matter and Aging Lab
Andreana Benitez · Charleston, South Carolina
Research Focus
Dr. Andreana Benitez's research lab focuses on understanding how changes in the brain's white matter relate to aging and Alzheimer's disease (AD). They use advanced MRI techniques to investigate these changes over time, with the goal of identifying early biomarkers for AD. By studying individuals aged 45-85, the lab aims to differentiate between normal aging processes and the onset of pathological changes related to Alzheimer's disease.
Alzheimer's diseaseagingwhite matterdiffusion MRImicrostructuremyelinlongitudinal studiescognitive impairmentneuroimagingbiomarkers
Research Aims
3AIM 01Characterize longitudinal changes in white matter microstructure in aging and AD.
AIM 02Quantify microscopic axonal fiber organization in aging and AD.
AIM 03Determine associations between diffusion MRI-derived microstructural parameters and measures of myelin/gliosis.
Skills the Lab Values
diffusion MRIlongitudinal study designdata collection and managementneuropsychological assessmentsimage processingmyelin water imagingbiostatisticsMRI analysis3D modelingclinical trial methods
Output against the department
Publications100bottom 34% of dept.445th of 671
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations1.9kbottom 11% of dept.595th of 671
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.