Biomedical Graduate Studies

Description of Research Expertise

The Alvarez lab aims to define how CNS-intrinsic signals modulate immune cell function within different neurovascular niches. Upon infection or injury, the concerted actions of both systems create a balance between immune attack and tissue repair to promote healing. Nonetheless, during disease these protective mechanisms can be inadequate or aberrant, leading to persistent inflammation and long-term sequelae. As the first line of defense against chemicals and blood-borne molecules, the CNS barriers shield the delicate CNS microenvironment from the constant fluctuations of the periphery. They are composed of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) and the blood-meningeal barrier (BMB). However, their roles during neuroinflammation remain poorly characterized. Thus, my research program has been built to identify the mechanisms regulating the immune and neurovascular interactions initiating at the level of the CNS barriers and progressing to the perivascular space into the brain parenchyma. Currently, we use a combination of ex-vivo, in vitro, in vivo, and post-mortem approaches to determine the neurovascular mechanisms supporting the pathogenesis of neuroinflammatory diseases like multiple sclerosis (MS) and neuropsychiatric disorders.