headshot of Bistra Iordanova

Bistra Iordanova

Assistant Professor
bei3@pitt.edu
Google scholar Bioengineering Department

overview

My lab develops multimodal neuroimaging platforms to explore systems-level neurovascular and metabolic events during neurogenesis, normal development and neurodegeneration. We are interested in the life of brain cells inside living animals, particularly in the context of neuronal activity, oxygen and glucose metabolism.

We deliver an integrative view on the dynamic neurovascular coupling and neuroenergetics in rodent dementia models, particularly Alzheimer’s Disease. The objective is to uncover and probe the cell-specific signaling pathways behind the vascular and metabolic contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia.
Recently, we also began to investigate the sex-specific changes in the brain metabolism and neurovascular health that drive differences in etiology, onset and progression of Alzheimer’s disease. We aim to provide mechanistic insights into the neurometabolic and vascular deficits of vulnerable populations and motivate tailored therapeutics that can benefit all humans.

We employ a set of interdisciplinary approaches that combine molecular tools such as optogenetics and reporter protein design with systems-level methods such as in vivo multichannel electrophysiology, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, two-photon and intrinsic optical imaging. We collect multi-modal datasets and use bioimage and signal processing algorithms to identify accessible molecular targets connected to brain dysfunction.

about

(2019 - 2020) Alzheimer's Disease Research Center Seed Grant.

(2017 - 2020) Alzheimer’s Association Research Fellowship ($175K).

(2016) Alzheimer’s Imaging Consortium Fellowship.

(2016 - 2017) NINDS T32 Training Fellowship, Neurobiology of Neurological Disease.

(2012) International Society of MR in Medicine - Summa Cum Laude Award.

(2007 - 2010) National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship.

PhD, Carnegie Mellon University, 2005 - 2011

Schweitzer, N., Li, J., Thurston, R.C., Lopresti, B., Klunk, W.E., Snitz, B., Tudorascu, D., Cohen, A., Kamboh, M.I., Halligan-Eddy, E., Iordanova, B., Villemagne, V.L., Aizenstein, H., & Wu, M. (2024). Sex-dependent alterations in hippocampal connectivity are linked to cerebrovascular and amyloid pathologies in normal aging. Alzheimers Dement, 20(2), 914-924.Wiley. doi: 10.1002/alz.13503.

Wu, M., Schweitzer, N., Iordanova, B.E., Halligan-Eddy, E., Tudorascu, D.L., Mathis, C.A., Lopresti, B.J., Kamboh, M.I., Cohen, A.D., Snitz, B.E., Klunk, W.E., & Aizenstein, H.J. (2023). In Pre-Clinical AD Small Vessel Disease is Associated With Altered Hippocampal Connectivity and Atrophy. Am J Geriatr Psychiatry, 31(2), 112-123.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.jagp.2022.09.011.

Oghifobibi, O.A., Toader, A.E., Nicholas, M.A., Nelson, B.P., Alindogan, N.G., Wolf, M.S., Kline, A.E., Nouraie, S.M., Bondi, C.O., Iordanova, B., Clark, R.S., Bayır, H., Loughran, P.A., Watkins, S.C., St Croix, C.M., Kochanek, P.M., Vazquez, A.L., & Manole, M.D. (2022). Resuscitation with epinephrine worsens cerebral capillary no-reflow after experimental pediatric cardiac arrest: An in vivo multiphoton microscopy evaluation. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab, 42(12), 2255-2269.SAGE Publications. doi: 10.1177/0271678X221113022.

Fitz, N.F., Nam, K.N., Wolfe, C.M., Letronne, F., Playso, B.E., Iordanova, B.E., Kozai, T.D.Y., Biedrzycki, R.J., Kagan, V.E., Tyurina, Y.Y., Han, X., Lefterov, I., & Koldamova, R. (2021). Phospholipids of APOE lipoproteins activate microglia in an isoform-specific manner in preclinical models of Alzheimer's disease. Nat Commun, 12(1), 3416.Springer Nature. doi: 10.1038/s41467-021-23762-0.

Poplawsky, A.J., Iordanova, B., Vazquez, A.L., Kim, S.G., & Fukuda, M. (2021). Postsynaptic activity of inhibitory neurons evokes hemodynamic fMRI responses. Neuroimage, 225, 117457.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2020.117457.

Fitz, N., Nam, K., Wolfe, C., Letronne, F., Playso, B., Iordanova, B., Kozai, T., Biedrzycki, R., Kagan, V., Tyurina, Y., Han, X., Lefterov, I., & Koldamova, R. (2020). Phospholipid Composition of APOE Lipoproteins Affects Microglia Activation in an Isoform-specific Manner. Research Square Platform. doi: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-83085/v1.

Fukuda, M., Poplawsky, A.J., Iordanova, B., Vazquez, A.L., & Kim, S.G. (2019). Coupling of neuronal activity to blood flow in dendrodendritic synapses is mediated by postsynaptic gabaergic cells in olfactory bulb. JOURNAL OF CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW AND METABOLISM, 39, 239-240.

Iordanova, B., Vazquez, A., Kozai, T.D., Fukuda, M., & Kim, S.G. (2018). Optogenetic investigation of the variable neurovascular coupling along the interhemispheric circuits. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab, 38(4), 627-640.SAGE Publications. doi: 10.1177/0271678X18755225.

Jin, T., Iordanova, B., Hitchens, T.K., Modo, M., Wang, P., Mehrens, H., & Kim, S.G. (2018). Chemical exchange-sensitive spin-lock (CESL) MRI of glucose and analogs in brain tumors. Magn Reson Med, 80(2), 488-495.Wiley. doi: 10.1002/mrm.27183.

Iordanova, B., Li, L., Clark, R.S.B., & Manole, M.D. (2017). Alterations in Cerebral Blood Flow after Resuscitation from Cardiac Arrest. Front Pediatr, 5, 174.Frontiers. doi: 10.3389/fped.2017.00174.

Iordanova, B., Murphy, M.C., Klunk, W.E., & Vazquez, A.L. (2016). P4‐093: In Vivo NADH Fluorescence Imaging of Double Transgenic Alzheimer's Disease Mice Reveals Chronic Tissue Hypoxia. Alzheimer's & Dementia, 12(7S_Part_21), p1047-p1048.Wiley. doi: 10.1016/j.jalz.2016.06.2182.

Iordanova, B., Vazquez, A.L., Poplawsky, A.J., Fukuda, M., & Kim, S.G. (2015). Neural and hemodynamic responses to optogenetic and sensory stimulation in the rat somatosensory cortex. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab, 35(6), 922-932.SAGE Publications. doi: 10.1038/jcbfm.2015.10.

Iordanova, B., Goins, W.F., Clawson, D.S., Hitchens, T.K., & Ahrens, E.T. (2013). Quantification of HSV-1-mediated expression of the ferritin MRI reporter in the mouse brain. Gene Ther, 20(6), 589-596.Springer Nature. doi: 10.1038/gt.2012.70.

Iordanova, B., Hitchens, T.K., Robison, C.S., & Ahrens, E.T. (2013). Engineered mitochondrial ferritin as a magnetic resonance imaging reporter in mouse olfactory epithelium. In Gelovani, J.G. (Ed.). PLoS One, 8(8), e72720.Public Library of Science (PLoS). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0072720.

Iordanova, B., & Ahrens, E.T. (2012). In vivo magnetic resonance imaging of ferritin-based reporter visualizes native neuroblast migration. Neuroimage, 59(2), 1004-1012.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2011.08.068.

Iordanova, B., & Ahrens, E.T. (2012). MRI Reporter Genes for Cancer Research. In Molecular Imaging Probes for Cancer Research. (pp. 715-731).World Scientific Publishing. doi: 10.1142/9789814293686_0024.

Iordanova, B., Robison, C.S., & Ahrens, E.T. (2010). Design and characterization of a chimeric ferritin with enhanced iron loading and transverse NMR relaxation rate. J Biol Inorg Chem, 15(6), 957-965.Springer Nature. doi: 10.1007/s00775-010-0657-7.

Iordanova, B., Robison, C.S., Goins, W.F., & Ahrens, E.T. (2010). Single chain ferritin chimera as an improved MRI gene reporter. Prilozi, 31(2), 151-155.

Iordanova, B., Rosenbaum, D., Norman, D., Weiner, M., & Studholme, C. (2006). MR imaging anatomy in neurodegeneration: a robust volumetric parcellation method of the frontal lobe gyri with quantitative validation in patients with dementia. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol, 27(8), 1747-1754.

Rousseau, F., Glenn, O.A., Iordanova, B., Rodriguez-Carranza, C., Vigneron, D.B., Barkovich, J.A., & Studholme, C. (2006). Registration-based approach for reconstruction of high-resolution in utero fetal MR brain images. Acad Radiol, 13(9), 1072-1081.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.acra.2006.05.003.

Studholme, C., Drapaca, C., Iordanova, B., & Cardenas, V. (2006). Deformation-based mapping of volume change from serial brain MRI in the presence of local tissue contrast change. IEEE Trans Med Imaging, 25(5), 626-639.Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). doi: 10.1109/TMI.2006.872745.

Rousseau, F., Glenn, O., Iordanova, B., Rodriguez-Carranza, C., Vigneron, D., Barkovich, J., & Studholme, C. (2005). A novel approach to high resolution fetal brain MR imaging. Med Image Comput Comput Assist Interv, 8(Pt 1), 548-555.Springer Nature. doi: 10.1007/11566465_68.

Schweitzer, N., Cover, C., Wu, M., Aizenstein, H., Vazquez, A., & Iordanova, B. (2022). Sex differences in vascular reactivity of APP/PS1 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. In JOURNAL OF CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW AND METABOLISM, 42(1_SUPPL), (p. 25).

Iordanova, B., Fukuda, M., Klunk, W., & Vazquez, A.L. (2019). Vascular and metabolic dysfunctions in APP/PS1 mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. In JOURNAL OF CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW AND METABOLISM, 39, (pp. 44-45).

Iordanova, B., Klunk, W.E., & Vazquez, A.L. (2018). P1‐441: HYPERCAPNIA EXPOSES DEFICIENCIES IN CEREBROVASCULAR RESPONSE AND TISSUE OXYGENATION IN TRANSGENIC AD MICE. In Alzheimer's & Dementia, 14(7S_Part_8), (p. p480).Wiley. doi: 10.1016/j.jalz.2018.06.450.

Koldamova, R., Lefterov, I., Fitz, N.F., Nam, K.N., Wolfe, C.M., Iordanova, B.Koldamova, R., Lefterov, I. (2018). P4‐051: EFFECT OF APOE ISOFORM ON MICROGLIAL RESPONSE TO AMYLOID‐BETA. In Alzheimer's & Dementia, 14(7S_Part_27), (p. p1453).Wiley. doi: 10.1016/j.jalz.2018.06.2454.

Iordanova, B., Murphy, M.C., Klunk, W.E., & Vazquez, A.L. (2016). IC‐P‐030: In Vivo Nadh Fluorescence Imaging of Double Transgenic Ad Mice Reveals Chronic Tissue Hypoxia. In Alzheimer's & Dementia, 12(7S_Part_1), (pp. p30-p31).Wiley. doi: 10.1016/j.jalz.2016.06.040.

Rodriguez-Carranza, C.E., Rousseau, F., Iordanova, B., Glenn, O., Vigneron, D., Barkovich, J., & Studholme, C. (2006). An ISO-surface folding analysis method applied to premature neonatal brain development. In Reinhardt, J.M., & Pluim, J.P.W. (Eds.). In Proceedings of SPIE--the International Society for Optical Engineering, 6144, (p. 61441k-61441k-11).SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics. doi: 10.1117/12.652516.

Rousseau, F., Glenn, O., Iordanova, B., Rodriguez-Carranza, C., Vigneron, D., Barkovich, J., & Studholme, C. (2005). A novel approach to high resolution fetal brain MR imaging. In Medical image computing and computer-assisted intervention : MICCAI ... International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention, 8(Pt 1), (pp. 548-555).

Research interests

Adult neurogenesis
Bioimaging and signal processing
Brain imaging
Brain metabolism
Neurodegenerative diseases
Neurovascular coupling