UK DRI at UCL Guest Seminar: Berislav Zlokovic

Berislav Zlokovic

Director of the Zilkha Neurogenetic Institute, and Professor and Chair of the Department of Physiology and Neuroscience at University of Southern California (USC)

Dr Zlokovic studies the role of cerebral blood vessels in Alzheimer’s disease and stroke. He identified the cellular and molecular mechanisms of blood-brain barrier (BBB) breakdown and showed that BBB breakdown can initiate neurodegenerative processes and is an early biomarker of human cognitive dysfunction. He identified genes and receptors at the BBB that regulate brain levels of Alzheimer’s amyloid-beta toxin. His discoveries contributed to phase 2/3 trials in Alzheimer’s disease and Phase 2/3 trials for ischemic stroke. Thomson Reuters/Clarivate Analytics listed Zlokovic as one of “The World’s Most Influential Scientific Minds” for ranking in top 1% of the most-cited authors in the field of neurosciences and behavioural sciences for 21 consecutive years from 2002 - 2023. He has received MetLife Award, Potamkin Prize, MERIT Award (NIA), Javits Award (NINDS), and USC Associates Award for Creativity in Research. He is a fellow of the AAAS, the Danna Alliance for Brain Initiative, and the European Academy of Sciences. He co-founded ZZ Biotech, a biotechnology company dedicated to developing new treatments for stroke and neurological disorders.