Dr. Costantino Iadecola is a preeminent neuroscientist whose pioneering work has fundamentally transformed our understanding of brain-vascular interactions. He currently serves as Director and Chair of the Feil Family Brain and Mind Research Institute and holds the Anne Parrish Titzell Professorship of Neurology at Weill Cornell Medicine. After earning his medical degree from Sapienza University of Rome in 1977, he completed post-doctoral training and neurology residency at Cornell University before joining the University of Minnesota's Department of Neurology in 1990. His distinguished career includes serving as Professor and Vice Chair for Research at Minnesota from 1997 to 2001, followed by his return to Weill Cornell as Director of the Division of Neurobiology, culminating in his leadership of the Brain and Mind Research Institute since 2012.
Dr. Iadecola pioneered the conceptual framework of the neurovascular unit, revolutionizing how scientists understand the intricate relationship between neuronal activity and cerebral blood flow regulation. His groundbreaking research has elucidated the cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying ischemic brain injury, neurodegeneration and cognitive impairment, with over 390 peer-reviewed publications that have established him among the top one percent of most-cited researchers in neuroscience for more than 15 consecutive years. His seminal work demonstrating the role of neurovascular dysfunction in Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia has catalyzed a paradigm shift in the field, revealing how vascular risk factors interact with pathological processes to accelerate cognitive decline. This research has profound implications for developing novel therapeutic approaches to prevent or mitigate dementia associated with vascular disorders.
Beyond his research contributions, Dr. Iadecola has significantly shaped the neuroscience community through leadership roles in major scientific organizations and editorial positions for prestigious journals including Circulation, Stroke, and the Journal of Neuroscience. His mentorship of students, residents and junior faculty has cultivated the next generation of neuroscientists, with many of his trainees securing competitive NIH and American Heart Association funding for their independent research programs. Recognized with numerous honors including the Willis Award, the American Heart Association Basic Science Prize and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society for Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism, his influence continues to expand as he leads one of the largest neuroscience research institutes in the country. His current investigations focus on the role of innate immunity and the microbiome in ischemic brain injury, promising to further illuminate the complex interplay between vascular health and brain function.
