Neuroinflammation & Neurodegeneration (NIND) Program

Funded by the Presbyterian Village North Foundation, the NIND program is led by Barbara Stopschinski, M.D. & Kyle Blackburn, M.D.

What we do

We focus on individuals who have experienced viral infections or autoimmune‑mediated inflammation of the brain and are now developing cognitive symptoms, including memory loss that may signal the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease or other neurodegenerative conditions.We conduct comprehensive clinical evaluations that may include advanced imaging, blood‑based testing, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, and detailed neurological examinations to provide individualized care.

In parallel the program advances scientific discovery with the following goals:

• Build a longitudinal database to better understand the natural history of neuroinflammation‑related neurodegeneration
• Characterize cognitive symptoms and disease progression in NIND patients over time
• Identify biomarkers in blood and cerebrospinal fluid that may enable early prediction of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders in this population.

Collaborations

Looking ahead, we are planning a new study entitled “NIND Imaging,” which will expand our research by incorporating PET imaging to evaluate tau pathology and other neurodegenerative markers within the NIND cohort.