Programme
pre-conference day

September 15 2025 (Monday)

11:00(open)Registration Open

12.00 - 13:00 Lunch

13:00 – 13:05

welcome

SESSION 1: EMERGING TOOLS

13:05 – 13:50

MasterclassOPERATIONALIZING NEUROCOGNITIVE CONSTRUCTS: THE PROMISE OF NEW DIGITAL ASSESSMENT TECHNOLOGY

David Libon, Rowan University (USA)

13:50 – 14:35

MasterclassAI in VCID

Carole Sudre, University College London (UK)

14.35 - 14:55COFFEE BREAK

SESSION 2: MECHANISMS IN VCID

14:55 – 15:40

MasterclassCracking the Barrier: Vascular Biology and Brain Health

Axel Montagne, University of Edinburgh (UK)

15:40 – 16:25

MasterclassCerebral Amyloid Angiopathy: An Update on Disease Mechanisms and Clinical Relevance for Stroke and Cognitive Impairment

David Werring, University College London (UK)

16:25 - 16:45COFFEE BREAK

SESSION 3: CAREER DEVELOPMENT

16:45 – 18:00

Career Panel Planning a Career in Science

Panelists:

  • Adam Bentvelzen, University of New South Wales (Australia)
  • Frank Wolters, Erasmus Medical Centre (Netherlands)
  • Prashanthi Vemuri, Mayo Clinic Rochester (USA)
  • Sindhuja Govindarajan, University of Pennsylvania (USA)
  • Susanne van Veluw, Harvard University (USA)

18.00ECI MIXER Venue: The Halo, Southampton Football Club

Conference day 1

September 16 2025 (Tuesday)

08:30 – 08:40

Opening ceremony – Welcome

Lord Mayor of Southampton, Cllr James Baillie, Chairs of Local Committee (R. Carare), VasCog Executive (D. Gustafson) and Scientific Committees (P. Vemuri & A. Marseglia)

08:40 – 08:50

VasCog Award

THEME 1: NEW DIRECTIONS IN THE FIELD OF VASCULAR, BEHAVIORAL, AND COGNITIVE DISORDERS

Chairs: Anna Marseglia & Saima Hilal

08:50 – 09:05

Invited talkThe ARTS of Arteriolosclerosis

Konstantinos Arfanakis, Illinois Institute of Technology & Rush University Medical Center (USA)

09:05 – 09:15

Invited talkMild Behavioral Impairment in VCI

Hanna Jokinen, University of Helsinki (Finland)

09:15 – 09:30

Invited talkAdvancing VCI research with proteomics

Claudia Satizabal Barrera, UT Health San Antonio (USA)

09:30 – 09:40

oralSelected abstract 031 - Diagnosing VCID: VASCOG-2 updated criteria and harmonized neuropsychological assessment

Adam Bentvelzen, Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, UNSW Sydney (Australia)

09:40 – 09:50

oralSelected abstract 079 - Interplay between Alzheimer and vascular pathology as determinants of plasma neurofilament light in a memory clinic population

Michelle Barbour, Alzheimer Center, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (the Netherlands)

09:50 – 10:00

oralSelected abstract 027 - Development of the Brain Health Outcome Scale: A Polyomino-Based Integration of Functional and Cognitive Assessments After Stroke

Minwoo Lee, Department of Neurology, Hallym University Sacred Heart Hospital, South Korea

10:05 – 10:20

clinical talkToo Much, Not Enough: Diagnosis in the Space Between

Christopher Kipps, University of Southampton
Chair: Roxana Carare

10.20 - 10:45 COFFEE BREAK

THEME 2A: BIOMARKERS OF VCI I – FLUID, RETINAL, CARDIAC

Chairs: Saima Hilal & Timothy Hughes

10:45 – 11:00

Invited talkBlood-based biomarkers in VCI

Daniel Nation, University of Southern California (USA)

11:00 – 11:15

Invited talkRetinal vascular and neurodegenerative markers in VCI

Chris Owen, St Georges Hospital London (UK)

11:15 – 11:30

Invited talkCardiac and Vascular Biomarkers of VCI”

Timothy Hughes, Wake Forest University School of Medicine (USA)

11:30 – 11:40

oralSelected abstract 017 - A Molecular Biomarker Panel for the Diagnosis of Vascular Cognitive Impairment and Dementia: A Multi-Cohort Study

Gurpreet Kaur Hansra, Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing, UNSW Sydney (Australia)    

11:40 – 11:50

oralSelected abstract 020 - Associations between retinal microvasculature, cerebral small vessel disease, and cognition among middle-aged adults with type 1 diabetes

Iiris Kyläheiko, University of Helsinki (Finland)

11:50 – 12:00

oralSelected abstract 086 - Effects of pacemaker implantation on the risk of vascular cognitive decline

Francesco Gill, Imperial College London (UK)

12:00 - 13:30 Lunch

(13:00 - 13:30) General Assembly

13:30 – 14:20

Debate 1Is small vessel dysfunction the primary cause of dementia?

Moderator/Chair: Prashanthi Vemuri

● Charles S. DeCarli, University of California-Davis (USA)

● Suvarna Alladi, NIMHANS (India)

● Eric Smith, University of Calgary (Canada)

● Silvia Fossati, Temple University (USA)

 

THEME 5: TREATMENT UPDATES

Chairs: Atticus Hainsworth & Ilana Caro-Châtelier

14:25 – 14:40

Invited talkPDE5 inhibitors to treat small vessel disease in dementia

Alastair Webb, Imperial College London (UK)

14:40 – 14:55

Invited talkProteogenomic fingerprinting of cSVD: a new avenue for target discovery

Ilana Caro-Châtelier, Université de Bordeau

14:55 – 15:10

Invited talkRemote ischemic conditioning in treating CSVD-related VCI

Aravind Ganesh Hotchkiss Brain Institute, University of Calgary Cumming School of Medicine (Canada)

15:10 – 15:20

oralSelected abstract 007 - Thiazides as a potential drug class for dementia repurposing trials. Evidence from clinical, research cohort, and genetic data

Jodi Watt, University of Glasgow (UK)

15:20 – 15:30

oralSelected abstract 066 - Investigating the Efficacy of Steroid-Based Therapy in Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy-Related Inflammation: A Retrospective Cohort Study on Clinical and Radiological Outcomes

Giulia Negro, Golgi Cenci Foundation (Italy)

15:30 – 15:40

oralSelected abstract 120 - Lecanemab in a Real-World Setting: A Retrospective Single-Center Study

Ryoko Inutsuka, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center (Japan)

15:40 - 16:30 Coffee break

ECI sessionEarly Career Investigators Session - same venue

Chairs: Audrey Low & Gurpreet Hansra

Biochemical Society Award Integrated Lecture: Perspectives on Small Vessel Disease

Chairs: Anna Williams & Atticus Hainsworth

16:30 – 16:35

welcome

Atticus Hainsworth & Lucy Ollett on behalf of the Biochemical Society

16:30 – 16:40

Invited talkVascular Dysfunction in Small Vessel Disease: A Researcher’s Journey Across the UK and China

Yulu Shi, University of Edinburgh (UK)

16:40 – 16:50

Invited talkFrom cellular biomarkers to clinical trajectories: Vascular dysfunction in small vessel disease progression

Daniela Jaime Garcia, University of Edinburgh (UK)

16:50 – 17:00

Invited talkSeeing the unseen: A legacy of discovery and vision

Jose Bernal Moyano, German Center for Neurodegenerative Disease (DZNE) (Germany)

17:00 – 17:25

keynoteBrain Vascular Function and Small Vessel Disease: Evolving Insights from Imaging to Mechanisms

Joanna Wardlaw, University of Edinburgh (UK)

19:00

WELCOME RECEPTION AND VASCOG DINNER AND PARTY

Location: Harbour Hotel, Southampton

Conference day 2

September 17 2025 (Wednesday)

08:20

Information from CCCB team for the VasCog community

THEME 3: PATHOPHYSIOLOGY OF VCI

Chairs: Annemieke ter Telgte & Susanne van Veluw

08:30 – 08:45

Invited talkTangled Pathologies – Exploring the Role of Arteriolosclerosis within Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy

Valentina Perosa, MGH and Harvard University (USA)

08:45 – 09:00

Invited talkPericyte–Endothelial Cell Miscommunication at the Blood–Brain Barrier: Insights into Dementia Pathophysiology

Axel Montagne, University of Edinburgh (UK)

09:00 – 09:15

Invited talkPersistent Pathways: Inflammation and the Vicious Cycle of SVD

Audrey Low, Mayo Clinic – Rochester (USA)

09:15 – 09:25

oralSelected abstract 069 - High-Fat Diet Influences the Progression of Amyloid Pathology in 5XFAD Mouse Model

Kawthar Braysh, Kuwait University (Kuwait).

09:25 – 09:35

oralSelected abstract 040 - Investigating the role of neuroinflammation and microglia on cerebrovascular function in Alzheimer's disease

Oliver Milner, University of Bristol (UK)

09:35 – 09:45

oralSelected abstract 075 - Acute Effects of Cilostazol and Isosorbide Mononitrate on White Matter Haemodynamics in Young and Middle-Aged Wild-Type Mice

Albeshr Almasri, University of Sussex (UK)

HOST TALK: CLEARANCE OF INTERSTITIAL FLUID (CLIC)

Chair: Roxana Carare & Silvia Fossati

09:50 – 10:05

Invited talkPathways of communication between the brain and the nose and the possibility of nasal biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases

Nour Gharaibeh, University of Southampton (UK)

10:05 – 10:20

Invited talkCA-VB: a new mitochondrial target mediating cerebrovascular dysfunction and clearance in CAA and AD.

Silvia Fossati, Temple University (USA)

10:20 – 10:35

Invited talkIs CAA a perivascular brain clearance disorder?”

Susanne van Veluw, Harvard University (USA)

10:35 – 10:50

Invited talkVascular changes in Alzheimer’s Disease following systemic inflammation

Jessica Teeling, University of Southampton (UK)

10.50 - 11:15 COFFEE BREAK

11.20 - 12:30

ECI BLITZ

Chairs: Audrey Low & Gurpreet Hansra

12:30 - 14:00 Lunch

(13:30 - 13:55)Business meeting (closed doors)

THEME 4: EPIDEMIOLOGY & RISK FACTORS FOR VCI

Chairs: Deborah Gustafson & Anna Marseglia

14:00 – 14:15

Invited talkVCI through a sex lens: cardiometabolic risk factors and small vessel disease

Anna Marseglia, Karolinska Institutet

14:15 – 14:30

Invited talkThe intersection between cardiovascular risk factors and non-communicable disease

Deborah Gustafson, SUNY Downstate

14:30 – 14:40

oralSelected abstract 060: Individualized risk prediction for cognitive decline and cardiovascular events in VCI: A Bayesian Network Approach

Malin Overmars, University Medical Center Utrecht, (the Netherlands)

14:40 – 14:50

oralSelected abstract 087: Comparison of white matter hyperintensities in diverse Asian American and non-Hispanic White participants in Northern California

Alexander Ivan B. Posis, University of California-Davis (USA)

14:50 – 15:00

oralSelected abstract 032: Chronic Stress is associated with dementia three Months after stroke

Eva Birgitte Aamodt, Oslo University Hospital (Norway)

15:00 - 15:30 Coffee break & Group Picture (Leanne Palmer)

15.30 - 17:30

Vascular Dementia from Bench to Bedside: Research Highlights and Initiatives from the UK DRI and DPUK

Prof Joanna Wardlaw and Prof Atticus Hainsworth; additional discussants Prof Roxana Carare and Prof David Attwell

15:30 – 15:35

Opening remarksWelcome

Prof Joanna Wardlaw and Prof Atticus Hainsworth

15:35 – 15:50

Invited talkAtlases of human vascular cells – why, practical issues, what can they show?

Prof Caleb Webber, Director of Data Science and UK DRI Group Leader at UK DRI at Cardiff

15:50 – 16:05

Invited talkDevelopment of a searchable database of animal models relevant to vascular causes of neurodegeneration

Dr Sarmi Sri, Innovation and Business Manager, UK DRI Core Team

16:05 – 16:20

Invited talkA model of sporadic small vessel disease without hypertension – insights into endothelial cell drivers of, and vulnerability to, cSVD

Prof Anna Williams, Professor of Regenerative Neurology, University of Edinburgh, Alzheimer’s Society Doctoral Training Centre for Vascular and Immune Contributors to Dementia

16:20 – 16:35

Invited talkThe Manchester Brain Health Centre: a unique collaboration aimed at restoring healthy brain blood flow in patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment

Prof Adam Greenstein, Professor of Medicine, BHF Centre for Research Excellence & Geoffrey Jefferson Brain Research Centre, University of Manchester

16:35- 16:50

Invited talkSensitive functional and biological biomarkers of vascular dementia and its progression; what do they tell us about mechanisms and differential diagnosis of neurodegenerative diseases?

Dr Fatemeh Geranmayeh, Clinical Research Fellow, Imperial College London, Alzheimer’s Society Doctoral Training Centre for Vascular and Immune Contributors to Dementia

16:50- 17:05

Invited talkThe problem of vascular causes of dementia – effective methods to detect and assess vascular cognitive impairment at scale

Prof Sarah Pendlebury, Professor of Medicine and Old Age Neuroscience, University of Oxford

17:05- 17:30

Q&A and discussion

17:30

Networking mingle (upon registration – limited space – first-registered first-served – register here).

Location: Knightwood Lounge

Conference day 3

September 18 2025 (Thursday)

THEME 2B: BIOMARKERS OF VCI II – NEUROIMAGING

Chairs: Frank J Wolters & Julie Ottoy

08:30 – 08:45

Invited talkWhite matter hyperintensities in AD: beyond the vascular contribution to cognitive impairment

Garnier Crussard, Lyon Institute For Aging (France)

08:45 – 09:00

Invited talkSmall vessel disease and the structural shaping of the aging brain

Ashwati Vipin, Dementia Research Centre (Singapore)

09:00 – 09:15

Invited talkIntracranial arteriosclerosis: a major risk factor for VCI and dementia

Daniel Bos, Erasmus Medical Center (Netherlands)

09:15 – 09:25

oralSelected abstract 029 - Morphometric Features of Brain Perivascular Spaces and Their Neuropsychiatric and Familial Associations

Alexandra Morozova, Charles University, Prague, (Czechia)

09:25 – 09:35

oralSelected abstract 118 - Diffusion Imaging Measures to Disentangle SVD-related Hypertensive Arteriopathy versus Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy

Sheelakumari Raghavan, Mayo Clinic Rochester, (USA)

09:35 – 09:45

oralSelected abstract 047 - Asymptomatic Carotid Artery Stenosis, Cognitive Decline and Dementia: a prospective population-based cohort study

Camiel Box, Erasmus MC University Medical Centre Rotterdam (the Netherlands)

09:50 – 10:10

Invited talkLessons from lifestyle intervention trials

Francesca Mangialasche, Karolinska Institutet (Sweden)

10.10 - 10:40 COFFEE BREAK

THEME 6: HEREDITARY SMALL VESSEL DISEASE AND VCI

Satoshi Saito & Hughes Chabriat

10:40 – 10:55

Invited talkModeling disease progression in CADASIL: lessons for other cerebral SVD

Hugues Chabriat, University Hospital LARIBOISIERE (France)

10:55 – 11:10

Invited talkFrom early onset CADASIL to mild cognitive impairment in elderly: Understanding disease variability in NOTCH3-associated small vessel disease

Julie W. Rutten, Leiden University Medical Center (Netherlands)

11:10 – 11:25

Invited talkEast–West Differences and Similarities in CADASIL

Sung-Chun Tang, National Taiwan University Hospital (Taiwan)

11:25 – 11:35

oralSelected abstract 034 - Interplay between vasculature, microglia and neurodegeneration in CADASIL and possible treatment strategies

Helena Karlström, Karolinska Institute (Sweden)

11:35 – 11:45

oralSelected abstract 055 - Selective vulnerability of cerebral vasculature to NOTCH3 variants in small vessel disease and rescue by phosphodiesterase-5 inhibitor

Tao Wang, University of Manchester (UK)

11:45 – 11:55

oralSelected abstract 049 - Utility of psychological tests in non-demented Japanese CADASIL patients

Satoshi Saito, National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center (Japan)

12:00 – 12:30

Closing remarksThank you & Acknowledgements from VasCog Executive Committee chair & local host

12:30lunch BREAK at the venue