Group leader
Professor Peter Nestor
Research focus
The Nestor lab is focused on linking the neuropsychological and behavioural profiles of neurodegenerative dementias, including Alzheimer’s disease and frontotemporal dementia, to patterns of regional brain damage.
Using advanced neuroimaging techniques, such as MRI and PET, with histopathological analysis, the Lab investigates how structural and functional changes in the brain underpin cognitive decline.
A particular focus is on the early stages of disease, especially mild cognitive impairment, often considered a precursor to dementia.
Neurodegenerative diseases
Understanding why specific brain regions are selectively affected may reveal fundamental mechanisms of disease and inform new approaches to treatment.
The aim is to improve diagnostic certainty and prognostic markers of cognitive decline, both critical for therapeutic development and clinical decision-making. To support this, the lab has developed novel MRI methodologies for single-subject clinical diagnosis. These approaches include diffusion imaging and quantitative susceptibility mapping, enabling more precise detection of disease-related changes in the brain.