J. (Julia) Neitzel, PhD

Prevention of chronic diseases is an ever-increasing forefront of medicine. Especially for age-related disease, such as dementia, it became clear that treatment after brain damage has developed is too late. My mission is to provide the knowledge for evidence-based prevention strategies that promote brain health tailored to the clinical, genetic, and biological characteristics of each person. I support dementia prevention through three key actions: (1) improving our understanding of the natural history of dementia and associated risk factors, (2) discovering new protective factors to pinpoint potential prevention targets, and (3) creating prediction algorithms that can identify high-risk individuals, enabling us to prioritize them in prevention approaches. Population-imaging is the central component in my research, functioning as a powerful tool for early disease detection. I specialize in quantifying Alzheimer's disease pathology using position emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and more recently MRI markers of small vessel disease and arteriosclerosis on computed tomography. To enhance the generalizability and excellence of my research, I adopt a comprehensive approach that involves working with diverse large-scale datasets from multiple regions, including Rotterdam, the UK, and US. Additionally, I actively engage in extensive collaborations with esteemed colleagues at Erasmus MC and other top national and international institutes.

• Brain imaging (PET, MRI)
• Cognitive decline during ageing
• Dementia, Alzheimer's disease
• Resilience & risk factors of dementia
• Healthy ageing

• 2023 – current Assistant professor, Dept of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam

• 2021 – 2023 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Postdoctoral Fellow, Dept of Epidemiology, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA

• 2020 – 2021 Postdoctoral scientist, Dept of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine & Dept of Epidemiology, Erasmus MC, Rotterdam

• 2018 – 2020 Postdoctoral scientist, Institute for Stroke and Dementia Research (ISD) & German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Munich, Germany

• 2013 – 2017 PhD, Graduate School of Systemic Neurosciences, LMU & Neuroradiology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technical University Munich (TUM), Munich, Germany

Publications

For a complete list of publications please see pubmed

·   Nguyen Ho PT, Hoepel SJW, Rodriguez-Ayllon M, Luik AI, Vernooij MW & Neitzel J. (2024) Sleep, 24-Hour Activity Rhythms, and Subsequent Amyloid-β Pathology. JAMA Neurol, e241755; https://doi.org/ 10.1001/jamaneurol.2024.1755

·   Rodriguez-Ayllon M, Vernooij MW, Muetzel RL, Neumann A, Hofman & Neitzel J (2024). The bidirectional relationship between brain structure and physical activity: a longitudinal analysis in the UK Biobank, Neurobiol Aging, 138: 1-9, ttps://doi.org/10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2024.03.00

·   Nguyen Ho PT, van Arendonk J, Steketee RME, Rooij FJA, Roshchupkin GV, Ikram MA, Vernooij MW & Neitzel J. (2023) Predicting Amyloid-beta Pathology in the General Population. Alzheimers Dement, 19.12 (2023): 5506-5517. https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.13161

·   van Arendonk J*, Neitzel J*, Steketee RM*, van Assema DM, Vrooman HA, Segbers M, Ikram MA & Vernooij MW. (2022). Diabetes and hypertension are related to amyloid-beta burden in the population-based Rotterdam Study. Brain, 146(1), 337-48. https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awac354

·   Neitzel J, Franzmeier N, Rubinski A, Dichgans M, Brendl M, Malik R & Ewers M (2021). KL-VS heterozygosity is associated with lower amyloid-dependent tau accumulation and memory impairment in Alzheimer’s disease, Nat Commun, 12, 3825, https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-23755-z 

2021 – 2025 Horizon 2020 Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship

2024 – 2028 Erasmus MC Fellowship