Dr. Lazarov is a Professor of Neuroscience in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Dr. Lazarov’s research focuses on the examination of molecular and cellular mechanisms of cognitive dysfunction in mouse models of familial Alzheimer’s disease (FAD) and in human tissue of individuals exhibiting mild cognitive impairments and Alzheimer’s disease. Her research focuses on the role of neurogenesis in hippocampal plasticity in aging- and Alzheimer’s disease-linked cognitive deterioration. Dr. Lazarov is a pioneer in the field of neurogenesis in Alzheimer’s disease. She was one the first to show that hippocampal neurogenesis is defective in FAD mice and may contribute to cognitive deficits characterizing the disease. In addition, she was one of the first to show that hippocampal neurogenesis persists throughout life in the human brain, albeit compromised in mild cognitive impairments and Alzheimer’s disease patients. In addition, studies at her lab examine the role of neural stem cells in cognitive failure in comorbidity, such as stroke or type-2-diabetes, as well as the role of endothelial and vascular factors that accelerate or contribute to the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Lazarov is the Director of the Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia (ADRD) Training Program at UIC.