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 Cross Lab at WashU Medicine is dedicated to understanding the mechanisms underlying inflammation and demyelination in the central nervous system, with a primary focus on multiple sclerosis (MS) — a common neurological disease affecting approximately 1 in 1,000 people in the United States.

Our research involves the study of human tissues, including blood, DNA, RNA and spinal fluid, as well as advanced imaging of the human nervous system. In some cases, we also use experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an established animal model of MS, to explore disease mechanisms.

Current research focus

We are conducting longitudinal imaging studies aimed at distinguishing between different types of MS-related pathology, such as:

  • Demyelination
  • Inflammation caused by immune cells or edema from blood-brain barrier breakdown
  • Axonal damage and loss

Our lab is funded to develop improved methods for measuring MS progression over time, which may be applied in future clinical trials.

Additional areas of study

We are also investigating the role of diet and calorie restriction in modulating neuroinflammation. Previous findings from our lab have shown that calorie restriction can reduce the severity of EAE, potentially through the upregulation of adiponectin and downregulation of leptin.

Principal investigator

Recent publications

  • Unraveling the major role of vascular (R2') contributions to R2* signal relaxation at ultra-high-field MRI: A comprehensive analysis with quantitative gradient recalled echo in mouse brain
    Unraveling the major role of vascular (R2') contributions to R2* signal relaxation at ultra-high-field MRI: A comprehensive analysis with quantitative gradient recalled echo in mouse brainIm, J., Xiang, B., Levasseur, V. A., Sukstanskii, A. L., Quirk, J. D., Kothapalli, S. V. V. N., Cross, A. H. & Yablonskiy, D. A., Aug 2025, In: Magnetic resonance in medicine. 94, 2, p. 761-770 10 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Claustrum Volume Is Reduced in Multiple Sclerosis and Predicts Disability
    Claustrum Volume Is Reduced in Multiple Sclerosis and Predicts DisabilityShelley, N., Judge, B., Yablonskiy, D. A., Naismith, R. T., Brier, M. R. & Cross, A. H., Jun 2025, In: Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology. 12, 6, p. 1100-1108 9 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Increased White Matter Aerobic Glycolysis in Multiple Sclerosis
    Increased White Matter Aerobic Glycolysis in Multiple SclerosisBrier, M. R., Judge, B., Ying, C., Salter, A., An, H., Patel, A., Wang, Q., Wang, Y., Cross, A. H., Naismith, R. T., Benzinger, T. L. S. & Goyal, M. S., Apr 2025, In: Annals of neurology. 97, 4, p. 766-778 13 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • Cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers as predictors of multiple sclerosis severity
    Cerebrospinal fluid biomarkers as predictors of multiple sclerosis severityTolentino, M., Pace, F., Perantie, D. C., Mikesell, R., Huecker, J., Chahin, S., Ghezzi, L., Piccio, L. & Cross, A. H., Feb 2025, In: Multiple Sclerosis and Related Disorders. 94, 106268.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
  • A single-cell compendium of human cerebrospinal fluid identifies disease-associated immune cell populations
    A single-cell compendium of human cerebrospinal fluid identifies disease-associated immune cell populationsCantoni, C., Smirnov, R. A., Firulyova, M., Andhey, P. S., Bradstreet, T. R., Esaulova, E., Terekhova, M., Schwarzkopf, E. A., Abdalla, N. M., Kleverov, M., Sabatino, J. J., Liu, K., Schwab, N., Meyer Zu Hörste, G., Cross, A. H., Artyomov, M. N., Edelson, B. T. & Wu, G. F., Jan 2 2025, In: Journal of Clinical Investigation. 135, 1, e177793.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Complete research profile