Sudha Seshadri, MD
Adjunct Professor
Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Neurology

MD, All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS)
MBBS, Christian Medical College & Hospital
DM, All India Institute of Medical Science (AIIMS)



I have been an investigator at the Framingham Heart Study (FHS) since 1998, leading the clinical neurology and neurogenetics cores since 2005 and serving as PI on 9 NIH grants, 5 R01 grants, 3 U01s and a UH2. As a board certified neurologist and Professor of Neurology at the Chobanian and Avedisian School of Medicine, I ran a Geriatric Memory Disorders and Dementia clinic, supervised a resident general neurology clinic and covered the in-patient, consult and emergency services for one month in each year. I also served as Co-Director of Medical Education for the Neurology Residency Program between 2005 and 2012. I was Director of the neurology segment of the Biology of Disease/ Disease and Therapy course for 2nd year medical students between 2008-2010 and in 2015-16 and continue to teach the Dementia module. I currently spend 75% of my time on research and mentoring within the context of the Framingham study and have served as primary mentor for over 30 physician and non-physician investigators funded by a wide range of grants, national (K23, AAN, AHA) and international (Fulbright, Bettencourt-Schuller, Sidney-Sax etc.).

In my research capacity, I currently lead the clinical neurology and neurogenetics cores at the FHS, where we explore the cumulated and age-specific impacts of a wide variety of genomic and environmental risk factors underlying stroke, dementia and brain aging across 3 generations of participants. This entails undertaking brain MRI, cognitive tests, brain autopsies, biomarker, candidate gene, genome-wide association, sequencing and expression studies. At FHS, my key contributions have included updating the dementia database with improved tracking, review and new classification systems, studying novel biomarkers such as BDNF, NGF and beta-amyloid, and establishing a brain bank program. In addition I play a major role in consolidating, refining and expanding various aspects of the MRI and stroke databases. Further, as lead neurogenetics investigator I have funded whole exome sequencing on over 1300 Framingham Study participants.

My research focuses on 4 interrelated areas: (a) exploring the correlates of subclinical brain aging including establishing norms for brain MRI and cognitive test performance and relating these measures to novel risk factors (such as visceral fat mass), multiple circulating biomarkers and clinical and subclinical indices of vascular and metabolic disease; (b) the epidemiology of stroke and vascular cognitive impairment including the lifetime risk of stroke, cognitive decline and dementia following stroke, the role of parental stroke and midlife risk factors in determining late-life stroke risk and temporal trends in stroke risk over the past 50 years; (c) the epidemiology of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease (AD) including describing the lifetime risk of AD and relating traditional and novel biomarkers (homocysteine, lipids, diabetes, estrogen, bone mineral density, thyroid function, inflammation) to the risk of dementia and AD. I have been especially interested in exploring the role of reversible lifestyle, vascular and metabolic risk factors in determining dementia risk with a special focus on understanding the putative causal pathways and biomarkers, such as leptin and other adipokines, BDNF and other neurotrophic factors, in mediating this risk, and (d) understanding the genomic and epigenetic variation underlying brain aging, stroke, AD and vascular cognitive impairment.

My most significant research contributions have been (i) developing the concept of lifetime risk as applicable to dementia and other chronic diseases, (ii) helping to establish plasma homocysteine as an important risk marker for dementia and AD (including a first author paper in the NEJM in 2002 that has had over 1400 citations), (iii) relating low plasma leptin levels to the risk of dementia and AD (published in JAMA, 2009 as senior author), (iv) describing a novel gene, NINJ2, associated with ischemic stroke (NEJM, 2009 as corresponding author), (v) describing two genes, BIN1 and EXOCL2, associated with Alzheimer disease in the largest, multi-centric genome-wide association study to date (JAMA, 2010 as first author) and identifying novel genes underlying hippocampal volume in healthy adults (Nature Genetics, 2012 as Senior author).

I have over 280 peer-reviewed publications and reviews. I also established, partially fund and coordinate the neurology phenotype working group within the international Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology (CHARGE) consortium started in January 2008. This consortium brings together investigators from several of the leading cohort studies, the FHS, the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study (ARIC), the Cardiovascular Health study (CHS), the Rotterdam study, the Age, Gene, Environment Susceptibility- Reykjavik (AGES-Reykjavik) study and the Austrian Study for Prevention of Stroke (ASPS). In my capacity as coordinator of neuroCHARGE, I am also a founding member of the International Genomics of Alzheimer's Project (IGAP) that brings together 4 major European and US groups who are currently the leaders in AD genomics research, am a PI of the Alzheimer Disease Sequencing Project (ADSP) that assesses rare genetic variation underlying PD in over 11,500 persons, a member of the Steering Committee for the International Stroke Genetics Consortium (ISGC) and Chair of the METASTROKE consortium.

A particular emphasis of mine throughout my career has been and will continue to be mentoring younger colleagues at my own institution and around the world towards academic careers. Collectively, my mentees have over 80 first author papers that I mentored published in leading journals including NEJM, Lancet, Nature Genetics, JAMA, JAMA Internal Medicine, JAMA Neurology, Annals of Neurology, Brain, Stroke and Neurology.

Investigator
Framingham Heart Study


Director
UT Health San Antonio
Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s & Neurodegenerative Diseases




Plasma Proteome and Risk of Alzheimer Dementia and Related Endophenotypes in the Framingham Study
07/01/2019 - 08/31/2022 (Multi-PI)
PI: Sudha Seshadri, MD
NIH/National Institute on Aging
1RF1AG063507-01

MRI, Cognitive, Genetic and Biomarker Precursors of AD & Dementia in Young Adults
06/01/2016 - 01/31/2021 (Multi-PI)
PI: Sudha Seshadri, MD
NIH/National Institute on Aging
5R01AG033040-10

MRI, Cognitive, Genetic and Biomarker Precursors of AD & Dementia in Young Adults
02/15/2016 - 01/31/2020 (Multi-PI)
PI: Sudha Seshadri, MD
NIH/National Institute on Aging
5R01AG033040-07

An integrated genetic and epigenetic approach to cerebral small vessel disease
04/01/2015 - 03/31/2019 (Subcontract PI)
University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston NIH NINDS
5R01NS087541-04

The Genetics and Biomarkers of Small Vessel stroke
07/01/2017 - 12/31/2018 (Subcontract PI)
University of Maryland, Baltimore County American Heart Assoc


AD Gene Discovery: Exome Chip, New Endophenotypes & Functional studies in CHARGE
06/01/2016 - 05/31/2018 (PI)
NIH/National Institute on Aging
4R01AG033193-07

Microgial, Inflammatory and Omics Markers of Cerebral Small Vessel Disease in the CHARGE Consortium
09/30/2016 - 11/30/2017 (Multi-PI)
PI: Sudha Seshadri, MD
NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke
5UH2NS100605-02

Temporal Trends, Novel Imaging and Molecular Characterization of Preclinical and Clinical Alzheimer Disease in Framingham Cohorts
09/01/2016 - 11/30/2017 (Multi-PI)
PI: Sudha Seshadri, MD
NIH/National Institute on Aging
3R01AG054076-02S1

ADSP Follow-up in Multi-Ethnic Cohorts via Endophenotypes, Omics & Model Systems
09/01/2016 - 11/30/2017 (Multi-PI)
PI: Sudha Seshadri, MD
NIH/National Institute on Aging
1U01AG052409-01

Precursors of Stroke Incidence and Prognosis
03/01/2016 - 11/30/2017 (Multi-PI)
PI: Sudha Seshadri, MD
NIH/National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke
5R01NS017950-34

Showing 10 of 23 results. Show All Results


Title


Yr Title Project-Sub Proj Pubs
2024 Interactions of SARS-CoV-2 infection and genetic variation on the risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease in Ancestral and Admixed Populations 5U19AG076581-02
2024 Multiethnic Validation of VCID biomarkers in South Texas 5U01NS125513-03
2024 South Texas Alzheimer's Disease Center Genetics and Multiomics Core 5P30AG066546-04-6185
2024 South Texas Alzheimer's Disease Center Administrative Core 5P30AG066546-04-6178
2024 South Texas Alzheimer's Disease Center 5P30AG066546-04
2024 Multidimensional Assessment of Brain Health as A Marker of Dementia Risk and Resilience 5R01AG066524-05
2024 Precursors of Stroke Incidence and Prognosis 5R01NS017950-39
2023 Interactions of SARS-CoV-2 infection and genetic variation on the risk of cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease in Ancestral and Admixed Populations 1U19AG076581-01A1
2023 Multiethnic Validation of VCID biomarkers in South Texas 4U01NS125513-02
2023 South Texas Alzheimer's Disease Center Genetics and Multiomics Core 5P30AG066546-03-6185
Showing 10 of 92 results. Show All Results

Publications listed below are automatically derived from MEDLINE/PubMed and other sources, which might result in incorrect or missing publications. Faculty can login to make corrections and additions.

iCite Analysis       Copy PMIDs To Clipboard

  1. Wang D, Honnorat N, Toledo JB, Li K, Charisis S, Rashid T, Benet Nirmala A, Brandigampala SR, Mojtabai M, Seshadri S, Habes M. Deep learning reveals pathology-confirmed neuroimaging signatures in Alzheimer's, vascular and Lewy body dementias. Brain. 2025 Jun 03; 148(6):1963-1977. PMID: 39657969
     
  2. Gonzales MM, Garbarino VR, Kautz TF, Song X, Lopez-Cruzan M, Linehan L, Van Skike CE, De Erausquin GA, Galvan V, Orr ME, Musi N, He Y, Bateman RJ, Wang CP, Seshadri S, Kraig E, Kellogg D. Rapamycin treatment for Alzheimer's disease and related dementias: a pilot phase 1 clinical trial. Commun Med (Lond). 2025 May 20; 5(1):189. PMID: 40394335; PMCID: PMC12092812; DOI: 10.1038/s43856-025-00904-9;
     
  3. Yiallourou S, Baril AA, Wiedner C, Misialek JR, Kline CE, Harrison S, Cannon E, Yang Q, Bernal R, Bisson A, Himali D, Cavuoto M, Weihs A, Beiser A, Gottesman RF, Leng Y, Lopez O, Lutsey PL, Purcell SM, Redline S, Seshadri S, Stone KL, Yaffe K, Ancoli-Israel S, Xiao Q, Vaou EO, Himali JJ, Pase MP. Sleep architecture and dementia risk in adults: An analysis of 5 cohorts from the Sleep and Dementia Consortium. Sleep. 2025 May 16.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40377976
     
  4. Liu M, Khasiyev F, Spagnolo-Allende A, Sanchez DL, Andrews H, Yang Q, Beiser A, Qiao Y, Romero JR, Rundek T, Brickman AM, Manly JJ, Elkind MS, Seshadri S, Chen C, Del Brutto OH, Hilal S, Wasserman BA, Tosto G, Fornage M, Gutierrez J. Multi-population Genome-Wide Association Study Identifies Multiple Novel Loci associated with Asymptomatic Intracranial Large Artery Stenosis. medRxiv. 2025 May 07.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40385396; PMCID: PMC12083599; DOI: 10.1101/2025.05.06.25327093;
     
  5. Njamnshi AK, Fame Ndongo J, Ngoh Ngoh F, Mbella Mbella L, Ghogomu PM, Fouda SM, Ondoa Obama MA, Tchuinte M, Ousmane Mey A, Manaouda M, Beti Assomo J, Sadi RE, Motaze LP, Nganou Djoumessi E, Li Likeng ML, Nalova Lyonga PE, Etoundi Ngoa LS, Foutsou M, Mouelle Kombi N, Tchiroma BI, Owona G, Ayissi HE, Balungeli CE, Hele P, Fuh CG, Fomundam Mbah Acha RN, Bidoung Kpwatt PI, Mbayu F, Tasong PN, Momo JD, Doh JP, Bayaola B, Kilo VA, Abouem À Tchoyi D, Njeuma DL, Tamfu SF, Angwafo Iii FF, Chumbow SB, Etoua RM, Omgba RL, Ngomo Manga H, Tsafack Nanfosso R, Chan A, Etoa FX, Zambo JMB, Mah EM, Tommo Monthe M, Eheth S, Monono C, Biffot PP, Gabsa W, Cheka C, Echu G, Bella AE, Njock LR, Fongod AGN, Ndongo DU, Leke RFG, Pondi JE, Fieggen G, Shehu BB, Ayadi R, Merali Z, Yusuf S, Apeagyei AE, Ranchod K, Salama M, Atangana A, Ngokeu E, Ndifon W, Tiahou G, Tchoua R, Korsten L, Ibanez A, Singh G, Abdullah JM, Dhamija RK, Ihunwo AO, Mbarika VWA, Mbah D, Njamnshi WY, Ngarka L, Ahidjo N, Njitung C, Siewe Fodjo JN, Seke Etet PF, Tsiagadigui JG, Bissek AZK, Bella AL, Mbanya JC, Ndjolo A, Djientcheu VP, Ntone FE, Luma HN, Mboudou E, Kasia JM, Leke RJI, Um Meka EN, Ashuntantang G, Ngaroua, Bum EN, Njoya O, Mbacham WF, Ongolo-Zogo P, Chabwine JN, Fongang B, Vulliemoz S, Perrig S, Sztajzel R, Etya'ale D, Annoni JM, Chakraborty S, Tishkoff S, Cavazos JE, Maestre G, Seshadri S, Park KB, Newton C, Sander JW, Sen A, Illes J, Hannan AJ, Winkler AS, Narayan V, McLaughlin C, Pyykko M, Occhipinti JA, Beck D, Hiromoto J, Adorjan K, Destrebecq F, Vradenburg G, Manes F, Cross H, Filipescu D, Hachinski V, Bassetti CLA, Scientific Technical Committee YD, Eyre HA. African leadership in brain diplomacy: The Yaoundé declaration advances the global brain economy playbook for better brain health. Neuroscience. 2025 May 06; 577:161-174. PMID: 40339899
     
  6. Fohner AE, Sitlani CM, Jayadev S, Bis JC, Trittschuh EH, Lopez OL, Tracy RP, Psaty BM, Longstreth WT, Seshadri S. Plasma TAR DNA-binding protein 43 (TDP-43) levels in a population-based cohort of older adults: The cardiovascular health study. J Alzheimers Dis. 2025 Apr 23; 13872877251334820. PMID: 40267298
     
  7. Lo J, Melhorn SJ, Kee S, Olerich KLW, Huang A, Yeum D, Beiser A, Seshadri S, DeCarli C, Schur EA. Hypothalamic Gliosis Is Associated With Multiple Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in the Framingham Heart Study. J Am Heart Assoc. 2025 May 20; 14(10):e039463.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40240914
     
  8. Gonzalez AD, Wadop YN, Danner B, Clarke KM, Dopler MB, Ghaseminejad-Bandpey A, Babu S, Parker-Garza J, Corbett C, Alhneif M, Keating M, Bieniek KF, Maestre GE, Seshadri S, Etemadmoghadam S, Fongang B, Flanagan ME. Digital pathology in tau research: A comparison of QuPath and HALO. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 2025 Apr 16. PMID: 40238207
     
  9. Grasset L, Bis JC, Frenzel S, Kojis D, Simino J, Yaqub A, Beiser A, Berr C, Bressler J, Bülow R, DeCarli CS, Fohner AE, Harrington LB, Helmer C, Ikram MA, Lemaitre RN, Lopez OL, Longstreth WT, Neitzel J, Odden MC, Palta P, Schmidt CO, Talluri R, Vernooij MW, Völzke H, Voortman T, Whalen Q, Wittfeld K, Grabe HJ, Mosley TH, Psaty BM, Wolters FJ, Seshadri S, Dufouil C. Selected social and lifestyle correlates of brain health markers: the Cross-Cohort Collaboration Consortium. Alzheimers Dement. 2025 Apr; 21(4):e70148.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40207408; PMCID: PMC11982914; DOI: 10.1002/alz.70148;
     
  10. Young VM, Bernal R, Baril AA, Zeynoun J, Wiedner C, Gaona C, Beiser A, Teixeira AL, Salardini A, Pase MP, Himali JJ, Seshadri S. Long sleep duration, cognitive performance, and the moderating role of depression: A cross-sectional analysis in the Framingham Heart Study. Alzheimers Dement. 2025 Apr; 21(4):e70160.View Related Profiles. PMID: 40257009; PMCID: PMC12010301; DOI: 10.1002/alz.70160;
     
Showing 10 of 763 results. Show More

This graph shows the total number of publications by year, by first, middle/unknown, or last author.

Bar chart showing 763 publications over 32 distinct years, with a maximum of 66 publications in 2024

YearPublications
19892
19911
19942
19951
19971
19991
20003
20017
20025
20033
20048
20052
20069
200712
20088
200916
201016
201122
201228
201333
201442
201562
201658
201754
201834
201942
202027
202144
202262
202365
202466
202527

2013 American Academy of Neurology: Fellow
2013-2013 Boston University: Jack Spivack Excellence in Neurosciences Award
2012 American Neurological Association: Fellow
In addition to these self-described keywords below, a list of MeSH based concepts is available here.

Alzheimer Disease
Epidemiology
GEnetics
Stroke
Vascular Cognitive Impairment
Neuroepidemiology

Available to Mentor as: (Review Mentor Role Definitions):
  • Advisor
  • Career Mentor
  • Research / Scholarly Mentor
  • Work / Life Integration Mentor
Contact for Mentoring:
Seshadri's Networks
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