Faculty

Minjie Wu, PhD

Assistant Professor of Psychiatry

Contact Details

3811 O'Hara St.
Pittsburgh
 
PA
 
15213
Email

Education & Training

PhD
Bioengineering, Biosignal and Imaging, University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering
MS
Electrical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, Swanson School of Engineering
Neurology, Northwestern University

Research Interests

Brain development and aging; Neuroimaging
Selected Research Publications & Products
  1. Chen C-L, Son SJ, Schweitzer N, Jin H, Li JH, Wang L, Yang S, Hong C-H, Roh H-W, Park B, Choi J-W, An Y-S, Seo S-W, Cho Y-K, Hong S-H, Nam Y-J, Minhas DS, Laymon CM, Stetten GD, Tudorascu DL, Aizenstein HJ, Wu M*, Mayo Clinic Study of Aging. Periventricular diffusivity reflects APOE4-modulated amyloid accumulation and cognitive impairment in Alzheimers continuum. Alzheimers & Dementia. In press.
  2. Schweitzer N, Li J, Thurston RC, Lopresti B, Klunk WE, Snitz B, Tudorascu D, Cohen A, Kamboh MI, Halligan-Eddy E, Iordanova B, Villemagne VL, Aizenstein H, Wu M*. Sex-dependent alterations in hippocampal connectivity are linked to cerebrovascular and amyloid pathologies in normal aging. Alzheimers & Dementia. 20(2):914-924, 2024.
  3. Wu M, Schweitzer N, Iordanova BE, Halligan-Eddy E, Tudorascu DL, Mathis CA, Lopresti BJ, Kamboh MI, Cohen AD, Snitz BE, Klunk WE, Aizenstein HJ. Pre-clinical AD small vessel disease is associated with altered hippocampal connectivity and atrophy. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry. 31(2):112-123, 2023.
  4. Wang L, Kolobaric A, Aizenstein H, Lopresti B, Tudorascu D, Snitz B, Klunk W, Wu M. Identifying sex-specific risk architectures for predicting amyloid deposition using neural networks. NeuroImage. 275:120147, 2023.
  5. Wu M, Thurston RC, Tudorascu DL, Karim HT, Mathis CA, Lopresti BJ, Kamboh MI, Cohen AD, Snitz BE, Klunk WE, Aizenstein HJ. Amyloid deposition is associated with different patterns of hippocampal connectivity in men versus women. Neurobiology of Aging. 76:141-150, 2019.

Alzheimer's Research & Therapy: Sex-specific Risk Factors and Clinical Dementia Outcomes for White Matter Hyperintensities in a Large South Korean Cohort

Dr. Minjie Wu

Cerebral small vessel disease (CSVD) is a common cause of stroke and cognitive impairment in older adults. White matter hyperintensities (WMH) observed on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images are the most common feature of cerebral small vessel disease. However, the magnitude of WMH’s relationship to cognition and to the rate of cognitive decline varies considerably across individuals. Sex may be an important...

Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Reproductive Hormones in Relation to White Matter Hyperintensity Volumes Among Midlife Women

Silhouette of Woman

Although reproductive hormones are implicated in cerebral small vessel disease in women, few studies consider measured hormones in relation to white matter hyperintensity volume, a key indicator of cerebral small vessel disease linked to future risk for stroke, dementia, and mortality. Studies of hormones and the brain in women typically focus on estradiol, the main ovarian estrogen. However, hallmark changes of...

Associations Between Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and Cardiovascular and Brain Health in Women; Sex-Dependent Alterations in the Memory Network 

Drs. Rebecca Thurston and Minjie Wu

Recent studies led by Pitt Psychiatry investigators examine the associations between post-traumatic stress disorder and cardiovascular and brain health in women ( JAMA Network Open), and sex-dependent alterations in the memory network ( Alzheimer’s & Dementia). Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms and Cardiovascular and Brain Health in Women Most women in the United States will experience at least one major...

Carotid Intima Media Thickness and White Matter Hyperintensity Volume among Midlife Women

Dr. Rebecca Thurston

Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) and cardiovascular disease are major women's health issues, and among the leading causes of death in women. Midlife—here defined as the ages of 40 up to 65 years old—is of particular importance for women's brain and cardiovascular health. The neuropathological hallmarks of dementia due to ADRD, including amyloid beta and hyperphosphorylated tau, begin to accumulate...

Independent Replication of Advanced Brain Age in Mild Cognitive Impairment and Dementia: Detection of Future Cognitive Dysfunction

Karim et al. Molecular Psychiatry 2022 Article

Models of the aging process are becoming prevalent in multiple fields, and over the last decade, scientists have used brain aging markers to identify important neuroanatomical differences in multiple psychiatric disorders. These markers may provide individualized risk assessments and predictions for age-associated neurodegenerative diseases, and have recently been used to demonstrate the association between greater...