Cross Lab

Anne Cross, MD

MRI photo left to right Rob Naismith, MD, Anne Cross, MD, Victor Song, PhD, and Robyn Klein, MD Shot for Outlook Magazine
MRI photo shot for Outlook Magazine.
Left to right: Rob Naismith, MD, Anne Cross, MD, Victor Song, PhD, and Robyn Klein, MD

The goal of the Cross lab’s research is to understand the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of inflammation and demyelination in the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord). Our research primarily focuses on multiple sclerosis (MS), a very common disease affecting 1 in 1,000 people in the U.S. We study human tissues (blood, DNA, RNA, spinal fluid) and perform cutting-edge imaging of the human nervous system. Occasionally, we use an animal model for MS known as experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE).

We are currently conducting longitudinal imaging studies to develop methods to differentiate the various types of pathologies in MS, such as demyelination, inflammation with cells or edema due to blood-brain barrier breakdown, and axon damage and loss. We are funded to create better methods for measuring MS progression over time, which could be used in clinical trials. Additionally, we study the effects of diet and calorie restriction on neuro-inflammation. We have previously shown that calorie restriction ameliorates EAE, at least partly through the upregulation of adiponectin and downregulation of leptin.

Principal investigator

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