University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center · NeuroscienceHypertension and Brain Health Lab
Rong Zhang · Dallas, Texas
Research Focus
Dr. Rong Zhang's lab at UT Southwestern Medical Center focuses on understanding how treating high blood pressure can affect brain health in older adults, particularly in relation to Alzheimer's disease. They investigate how lowering blood pressure can influence brain amyloid and tau levels, which are linked to dementia, as well as brain blood flow and overall cognitive function. The lab's research aims to provide insights that could lead to new methods for preventing and treating dementia in aging populations.
HypertensionAlzheimer's DiseaseCerebral Blood FlowBrain HealthDementiaAmyloidTau ProteinsNeurocognitive FunctionWhite Matter Integrity
Research Aims
3AIM 01To determine the effects of intensive systolic blood pressure lowering on brain amyloid and tau levels.
AIM 02To assess how intensive treatment affects cerebral blood flow and arterial stiffness in older adults.
AIM 03To investigate the impact of blood pressure lowering on white matter integrity and brain network connectivity.
Skills the Lab Values
Blood Pressure MeasurementMagnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)Positron-Emission Tomography (PET)Neurocognitive AssessmentsData Analysis in MATLABFunctional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI)Statistical Analysis using RRandomized Controlled TrialsPatient Enrollment and Care
Output against the department
Publications495top 11% of dept.76th of 671
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations21ktop 20% of dept.135th 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.