Park Laboratory

Laibaik Park, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Research in Neuroscience

Overview

Neurovascular coupling safeguards the brain that is the most energy-demanding organ in the body. The neurovascular unit, formed of neurons, glia (astrocytes, microglia, and perivascular macrophages), and cerebrovascular cells (endothelial cells and mural cells), ensures the incessant supply of oxygen and nutrients to the brain and the clearance of waste products out of the brain. The focus of my laboratory's work is to understand how neurovascular units are anatomically/functionally integrated, what neurovascular factors are involved in the neurovascular integration, and how neurovascular units control blood flow to the brain. To implement findings in basic research to clinical practice, we also investigate how alterations in cerebral blood flow underlie cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, including cerebral ischemia, small vessel diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, and frontotemporal degeneration. Therefore, my lab’s goals are to understand (1) how neurovascular factors, especially tissue plasminogen activator, drive neurovascular regulation, (2) how amyloid, tau, and/or ApoE4, major culprits in Alzheimer’s dementia, alter the neurovascular regulation, and (3) how alterations in the neurovascular coupling contribute to brain dysfunctions, including Alzheimer’s and vascular dementia.

Recent Publications

• Cruz Hernández JC, Bracko O, Kersbergen CJ, Muse V, Haft-Javaherian M, Berg M, Park L, Vinarcsik LK, Ivasyk I, Rivera DA, Kang Y, Cortes-Canteli M, Peyrounette M, Doyeux V, Smith A, Zhou J, Otte G, Beverly JD, Davenport E, Davit Y, Lin CP, Strickland S, Iadecola C, Lorthois S, Nishimura N, Schaffer CB. Neutrophil adhesion in brain capillaries reduces cortical blood flow and impairs memory function in Alzheimer's disease mouse models. Nat Neurosci. 2019 Mar;22(3):413-420. doi: 10.1038/s41593-018-0329-4. PMID: 30742116.  
• Koizumi K, Hattori Y, Ahn SJ, Buendia I, Ciacciarelli A, Uekawa K, Wang G, Hiller A, Zhao L, Voss HU, Paul SM, Schaffer C, Park L, Iadecola C. Apoε4 disrupts neurovascular regulation and undermines white matter integrity and cognitive function. Nat Commun. 2018 Sep 19;9(1):3816. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-06301-2. PMID: 30232327. Co-corresponding author.
• Faraco G, Park L, Anrather J, Iadecola C. Brain perivascular macrophages: characterization and functional roles in health and disease. J Mol Med (Berl). 2017 Nov;95(11):1143-1152. doi: 10.1007/s00109-017-1573-x. PMID: 28782084.
• Park L, Uekawa K, Garcia-Bonilla L, Koizumi K, Murphy M, Pistik R, Younkin L, Younkin S, Zhou P, Carlson G, Anrather J, Iadecola C. Brain Perivascular Macrophages Initiate the Neurovascular Dysfunction of Alzheimer Aβ Peptides. Circ Res. 2017 Jul 21;121(3):258-269. doi: 10.1161/CIRCRESAHA.117.311054. PMID: 28515043. Co-corresponding author.
• Uekawa K, Koizumi K, Hwang J, Brunier N, Hattori Y, Zhou P, Park L. Obligatory Role of EP1 Receptors in the Increase in Cerebral Blood Flow Produced by Hypercapnia in the Mice. PLoS One. 2016 Sep 22;11(9):e0163329. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0163329. PMID: 27657726.  
• Koizumi K, Wang G, Park L. Endothelial Dysfunction and Amyloid-β-Induced Neurovascular Alterations. Cell Mol Neurobiol. 2016 Mar;36(2):155-65. doi: 10.1007/s10571-015-0256-9. PMID: 26328781.
• Faraco G, Park L, Zhou P, Luo W, Paul SM, Anrather J, Iadecola C. Hypertension enhances Aβ-induced neurovascular dysfunction, promotes β-secretase activity, and leads to amyloidogenic processing of APP. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2016 Jan;36(1):241-52. DOI: 10.1038/jcbfm.2015.79. PMID: 25920959.
• Park L, Koizumi K, El Jamal S, Zhou P, Previti ML, Van Nostrand WE, Carlson G, Iadecola C. Age-dependent neurovascular dysfunction and damage in a mouse model of cerebral amyloid angiopathy. Stroke. 2014 Jun;45(6):1815-21. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.114.005179. PMID: 24781082.
• Park L, Zhou J, Zhou P, Pistick R, El Jamal S, Younkin L, Pierce J, Arreguin A, Anrather J, Younkin SG, Carlson GA, McEwen BS, Iadecola C. Innate immunity receptor CD36 promotes cerebral amyloid angiopathy.Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2013 Feb 19;110(8):3089-94. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1300021110. PMID: 23382216.
• Park L, Zhou P, Koizumi K, El Jamal S, Previti ML, Van Nostrand WE, Carlson G, Iadecola C. Brain and circulating levels of Aβ1-40 differentially contribute to vasomotor dysfunction in the mouse brain. Stroke. 2013 Jan;44(1):198-204. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.112.670976. PMID: 23204056.
• Wang G, Coleman CG, Glass MJ, Zhou P, Yu Q, Park L, Anrather J, Pickel VM, Iadecola C. Angiotensin II type 2 receptor-coupled nitric oxide production modulates free radical availability and voltage-gated Ca2+ currents in NTS neurons. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol. 2012 May;302(9):R1076-83. doi: 10.1152/ajpregu.00571.2011. PMID: 22378773.
• Park L, Wang G, Zhou P, Zhou J, Pitstick R, Previti ML, Younkin L, Younkin SG, Van Nostrand WE, Cho S, Anrather J, Carlson GA, Iadecola C. Scavenger receptor CD36 is essential for the cerebrovascular oxidative stress and neurovascular dysfunction induced by amyloid-beta. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011 Mar 22;108(12):5063-8. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1015413108. PMID: 21383152.
• Iadecola C, Park L, Capone C. Threats to the mind: aging, amyloid, and hypertension. Stroke. 2009 Mar;40(3 Suppl):S40-4. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.108.533638. PMID: 19064785.
• Park L, Zhou P, Pitstick R, Capone C, Anrather J, Norris EH, Younkin L, Younkin S, Carlson G, McEwen BS, Iadecola C. Nox2-derived radicals contribute to neurovascular and behavioral dysfunction in mice overexpressing the amyloid precursor protein. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Jan 29;105(4):1347-52. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0711568105. PMID: 18202172.
• Park L, Gallo EF, Anrather J, Wang G, Norris EH, Paul J, Strickland S, Iadecola C. Key role of tissue plasminogen activator in neurovascular coupling. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2008 Jan 22;105(3):1073-8. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0708823105. PMID: 18195371.

More research of Dr. Park @ PubMed

Current Lab members

-       James Seo, Research Technician. 

-       Antoine Anfray (Ph.D.), Postdoctoral fellow (co-supervised with Dr. Costantino Iadecola) 

Research Support 

http://vivo.med.cornell.edu/display/cwid-lap2003

Collaborators

-       Costantino Iadecola (BMRI) 

-       Chris Schaffer (Cornell University – Ithaca) 

-       Gang Wang (BMRI)

-       Josef Anrather (BMRI) 

-       Ping Zhou (BMRI)

Contact

lap2003@med.cornell.edu