Roland G. Henry, PhD

University of California at San Francisco, CA

2005 Central Nervous System

An expert at viewing subtle brain changes with sophisticated imaging tools such as MRI machines, Dr. Henry is tracking brain imaging markers in people with lupus to see if they correlate with cognitive dysfunction such as problems with memory, attention, and concentration.

If specific lupus-related disease processes in the brain can be linked to cognitive impairment, treatment of this profoundly difficult complication becomes a possibility. Dr. Henry has used this approach in people with multiple sclerosis and other conditions, but was new to lupus research.

The hope: to evaluate new and established brain imaging techniques as tests to predict which people are at risk of cognitive problems—and to gain greater insight into the cause and development of cognitive problems in lupus.

Ongoing funding:

Dr. Henry and colleagues have won a $75,000 pilot grant from the Alliance for Lupus Research to look more closely at glutamate imaging in people with lupus.

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