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Joel W. Blanchard, PhD @joelwblanchard.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

I'm excited to share that I've been selected as a 2026 Cardinal Family Scholar by Cure Alzheimer's Fund. This funding will help build on our recent Cell study here @scbrmmountsinai.bsky.social to develop therapies targeting APOE4-driven vascular damage in Alzheimer's. curealz.org/news-and-eve...

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Reposted by Joel W. Blanchard, PhD

The Friedman Brain Institute @sinaibrain.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

We are thrilled to share that Mount Sinai's @joelwblanchard.bsky.social @fanny-elahi.bsky.social & @jmcastell.bsky.social selected by the Cure Alzheimer's Fund as 2026 Cardinal Family Scholars. Incredibly proud of this achievement & excited to see the impact of their work. Learn More 👉 curealz.org

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Joel W. Blanchard, PhD @joelwblanchard.bsky.social · 24/09/2026

Blood vessels in the brain deteriorate in Alzheimer’s, especially in APOE4 carriers. But what drives this damage? Our new study, out now in @cellpress.bsky.social, uncovers a mechanism linking APOE4 to vascular fibrosis and amyloid accumulation in the brain. 🧠🧬

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Joel W. Blanchard, PhD @joelwblanchard.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

The human brain is largely inaccessible as diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s develop, limiting our ability to understand the mechanisms that drive neurodegeneration. To address this challenge, we created a multicellular integrated brain tissue, or #miBrain 🧠

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Joel W. Blanchard, PhD @joelwblanchard.bsky.social · 25/08/2026

Using a multicellular human brain model, our latest study, now published in @cp-cellstemcell.bsky.social, identifies APOE4 astrocytes as key drivers of α-synuclein pathology, uncovering a new mechanism linking genetic risk to neurodegeneration. www.cell.com/cell-stem-ce...

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Joel W. Blanchard, PhD @joelwblanchard.bsky.social · 06/08/2026

This week the Blanchard Lab turns 5! 🎉 Together, we've built increasingly sophisticated human brain models, uncovered new disease biology & even began the process of taking our #miBrains to space. I'm so grateful for this team & everyone who's been part of the journey so far.

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Joel W. Blanchard, PhD @joelwblanchard.bsky.social · 20/07/2026

A highlight of #ISSCR2026 @isscr.org was seeing lab member Louise Mesentier-Louro present some of her latest research! Thanks to Lee Rubin & Thomas Rando for a great session and @liganlab.bsky.social for sharing her lab's outstanding science. A privilege to present alongside such exciting work!

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Joel W. Blanchard, PhD @joelwblanchard.bsky.social · 14/07/2026

Congrats to PhD student Ashley Harlock for presenting her work modeling TDP-43 pathology in 3D models of human brain tissue at last month’s @keystonesymposia.bsky.social on Neurodegeneration in beautiful Whistler!

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Joel W. Blanchard, PhD @joelwblanchard.bsky.social · 11/06/2026

Our team had a blast kicking off pre-flight validation testing at Space Tango in Lexington, KY. We're excited to be one step closer to launching our miBrain mission aboard SpaceX-35. Stay tuned for updates as we prepare for launch!

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Joel W. Blanchard, PhD @joelwblanchard.bsky.social · 09/06/2026

Exciting week in D.C for the #MPSWorldSummit 🚀⚡️ Louise, Georgia & I spent the day at #NASA HQ for the pre-meeting before heading to the main summit, where Georgia did a great job giving her first talk on applying miBrains to explore Parkinson’s disease.

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Joel W. Blanchard, PhD @joelwblanchard.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

It's been a big week for the Blanchard Lab! So proud of Sundas (left) for successfully advancing to PhD candidacy and Julia (right) for defending her Master's thesis before heading to medical school this fall. Congratulations to you both on these major milestones!

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Joel W. Blanchard, PhD @joelwblanchard.bsky.social · 03/06/2026

Congrats to Blanchard Lab PhD student Anna Bright for presenting a poster at the #Myelin GRC in Italy this past week! Anna shared her work on APOE4 and oligodendrocyte development and represented our lab wonderfully at her first GRC. Well done, Anna!

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Joel W. Blanchard, PhD @joelwblanchard.bsky.social · 28/05/2026

Really enjoyed meeting new colleagues and sharing some of our latest work at #SBBq earlier this month! Big thanks to Elis Cristina Araujo Eleutherio for the invitation and for organizing such a thoughtful session with a fantastic lineup of speakers.

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