Welcome to the Villeneuve Lab

The Villeneuve Lab is interested in how the brain ages, with a specific focus on factors that modify the association between brain lesions and cognitive performance. Our research is motivated by the fact that more than 25% of older adults are considered cognitively normal despite the presence of beta-amyloid in their brain, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease. This fact suggests that other factors interact with beta-amyloid to trigger cognitive deficits in Alzheimer’s disease. It also suggests that actions can be taken to prevent or postpone disease-related symptoms. The main focus of the Villeneuve Lab’s research is therefore to examine the factors that protect against, or worsen, the development of cognitive deficits in age-related neurodegenerative diseases.

We use a multi-tier approach that includes molecular PET imaging, MRI imaging, neuropsychological testing and genetics, combined with analytic tools such as deep learning, lasso regression and partial least squares regression.

Visit our research page to learn more about our ongoing projects.

 

Recent News

New Article from the Villeneuve Lab
November 2023


Valentin Ourry’s article “How do modifiable risk factors affect Alzheimer’s disease pathology or mitigate its effect on clinical symptom expression?” has been published in Biological Psychiatry. This review provides an overview of the pathways and mechanisms by which modifiable risk factors may influence amyloid and tau burden and their effect on cognition in Alzheimer’s disease. [Papers]
 

Dr. Villeneuve in the media
August 2023


Dr. Sylvia Villeneuve and Dr. Judes Poirier were invited to the TV studios of CBC/Radio-Canada, where they answered questions from the public about Alzheimer’s disease on two episodes of the live call-in show La période de questions. [Media and Press]
 

New Article from the Villeneuve Lab
August 2023


Frédéric St-Onge’s paper “Functional connectome fingerprinting across the lifespan” has been published in Network Neuroscience. We found that individuals have unique signatures of brain activity that can be identified using functional MRI scans throughout the adult lifespan. [Papers]
 

Yara receives Quebec Bio-imaging Network scholarship
August 2023


Congratulations to Yara Yakoub on receiving a Quebec Bio-imaging Network scholarship!

 

OHBM 2023
July 2023


Villeneuve Lab members Alfonso Fajardo, Jonathan Gallego Rudolf, Mohammadali Javanray, Bery Mohammediyan, Valentin Ourry, Ting Qiu, Frédéric St-Onge and Yara Yakoub attended the 29th Annual Meeting of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping. Yara, Ting, Jonathan, Fred, Bery and Ali presented some of their latest research as posters. Fred’s abstract received a Merit Award. [Presentations] [Photos]
 

Dr. Villeneuve on TVA Nouvelles
July 2023


TVA Nouvelles visited the StoP-AD Centre and interviewed Director Sylvia Villeneuve on the early detection of Alzheimer’s and the latest developments in anti-amyloid antibody treatment. The video segments can be watched online here and here.

 

Alzheimer’s Association International Conference 2023
July 2023


Dr. Sylvia Villeneuve, along with Bery Mohammediyan, Frédéric St-Onge, Jonathan Gallego Rudolf, Ting Qiu, Dr. Valentin Ourry and Yara Yakoub travelled to Amsterdam to partake in AAIC 2023 and share their latest research. At the Alzheimer’s Imaging Consortium, Dr. Villeneuve spoke at a panel discussion and Jonathan presented his work as a data blitz, while Valentin, Frédéric, Ting, Yara and Bery gave poster presentations. At the main conference, Frédéric gave a Featured Research Session talk and presented a poster, and Valentin, Yara, Ting, Jonathan and Bery presented posters. [Presentations] [Photos]
 

More lab news here.