Dr. Ramirez’s research focuses on the use of neuroimaging and clinical knowledge to examine biomarkers that overlap between cerebral small vessel disease, sleep-driven perivascular glymphatic waste clearance, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and other related neurodegenerative diseases causing dementia. Specifically, his work involves the systematic evaluation of neurovascular and neurodegenerative biomarkers and risk factors, with the goal of improving clinical diagnostic technologies and their potential use for future disease modifying therapeutics.
Education
- BA, 1998, Psychology, Glendon College – York University, Canada
- MA, 2002, Kinesiology and Health Science, York University, Canada
- PhD, 2012, Institute of Medical Sciences, University of Toronto, Canada
- Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2014, Heart & Stroke Foundation Canadian Partnership for Stroke Recovery (Sunnybrook Site), Canada
- Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2015, LC Campbell Cognitive Neurology, Sunnybrook Research Institute, University of Toronto, Canada
Appointments & Affiliations
- Scientist (Early Career, Junior Level), Dr. Sandra E. Black Centre for Brain Resilience & Recovery, Evaluative Clinical Sciences Platform, Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program, Sunnybrook Research Institute
Research Foci
- Cerebral small vessel disease
- Sleep-driven perivascular glymphatic waste clearance
- Stroke, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and related neurodegenerative and neurovascular diseases causing dementia
- Structural neuroimaging biomarkers
- Vascular risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease
Publications
Affiliated Labs & Programs
Selected Publications
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Andruita D, Ottoy J, Ruthirakuhan M, Feliciano G, et al., Ramirez J (2024). The effect of perivascular spaces on speeded executive function via plasma GFAP and WMH in neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular patients. Alzheimer’s & Dementia.
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Dilliott AA, Berberian SA, Sunderland KM, Binns MA, et al., Ramirez J (2023). Rare neurovascular genetic and imaging markers across neurodegenerative diseases. Alzheimer’s & Dementia.
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Ramirez J, Berberian SA, Breen DP, Gao F, Ozzoude M, et al. (2022). Small and large Magnetic Resonance Imaging-visible perivascular spaces in the basal ganglia of Parkinson’s disease patients. Movement Disorders.
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Ramirez J, Holmes MF, Berezuk C, Kwan D, Tan B, et al. (2020). Ontario Neurodegenerative Disease Research Initiative (ONDRI): Structural MRI methods & outcome measures. Frontiers in Neurology.
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Wardlaw JM, Benveniste H, Nedergaard M, Zlokovic BV, Mestre H, Lee H, Doubal FN, Brown R, Ramirez J, MacIntosh BJ, Tannenbaum A, Ballerini L, Rungta RL, Boido D, Sweeney M, Montagne A, Charpak S, Joutel A, Smith KJ, Black SE; colleagues from the Fondation Leducq Transatlantic Network of Excellence on the Role of the Perivascular Space in Cerebral Small Vessel Disease (2020). Perivascular spaces in the brain: anatomy, physiology and pathology. Nature Reviews Neurology, 16(3)137-153.