Alex obtained his PhD from Arizona State University, where he studied skeletal muscle regeneration and innate immunology in the context of Duchenne muscular dystrophy. In 2023, he joined the lab in Boston as a Clinical Research Program Manager. In January 2026, he moved to Edinburgh to continue working with Dr. van Veluw following the lab’s transition to the University of Edinburgh. Alex also serves as the Administrative Officer for the Leducq Foundation Transatlantic Network of Excellence on Brain Clearance and as the Director of Operations for the International CAA Association. He is passionate about supporting collaborative research efforts and strengthening connections between researchers, clinicians, and patient communities.

Outside of the lab, Alex enjoys rock climbing, cooking and baking, and going to concerts.

Beth completed her PhD at the University of Sheffield where she studied neurovascular function in Alzheimer’s disease and heart disease. At the end of her PhD she started a post-doctoral role there and continued to investigate neurovascular function in Alzheimer’s disease, with a specific focus on the vasculature. In April 2024, she moved to Boston to join the Van Veluw lab, where she worked on projects related to brain clearance in CAA, as part of the Leducq Brain Clearance Network. In September 2025, she moved with Susanne to the University of Edinburgh, to help set up the new lab at the BHF-UK DRI Centre for Vascular Dementia Research. Beth is currently pursuing projects related to brain clearance in CAA and is also very interested in the health of the choroid plexus in CAA. She is passionate about mentoring the next generation of scientists and science communication.

Outside the lab, Beth loves to watch reality tv and go to gym classes.

Ellie is a research assistant powered by curiosity, caffeine, and an unreasonable number of spreadsheets. Ellie completed her MRes at University College London, where she researched the pathophysiology of neonatal encephalopathy and the development of novel neuroprotective strategies. She went on to train in the NHS Scientist Training Programme in Critical Care at Guys’ and St. Thomas’ Foundation Trust, working across adult, paediatric, and neonatal units. Through her varied clinical and research roles, Ellie has developed a specialist interest in medical and biomedical technologies and their application to translational research. Her interests include sex differences in biomedical research and improving the translational relevance of experimental models.

Outside of work, Ellie can be found strength training, buried in a fantasy novel, or deep into an overly-ambitious side quest.

Hilde joined the Translational CAA Research Lab in January 2026. She trained as a neuropsychologist and neuroscientist in the Netherlands, where she obtained her PhD at Utrecht University. She subsequently moved to Boston for her post-doctoral training with Dr. Susanne van Veluw and joined the lab’s transition to the University of Edinburgh. Hilde’s research focuses on identifying the mechanisms that drive brain haemorrhages in CAA, with a broader interest in shared disease mechanisms across cerebral small vessel diseases. Her current work centres on the roles of blood–brain barrier dysfunction and neuroinflammatory responses in vascular injury and haemorrhage. In addition to her research, Hilde is passionate about ensuring that scientific findings are meaningfully communicated to patients and caregivers. She is actively involved in international patient communication initiatives through the International CAA Association and aims to contribute to the development of a patient advisory board for the Association. 

In her free time, Hilde enjoys biking, music concerts, reading and gardening – even more so in the company of friends.

Sanjana completed her MBBS and is currently pursuing an MSc in Clinical Anatomy at the University of Edinburgh. She has also completed a Clinical Observership at King’s College London, which further strengthened her interest in clinical medicine and patient care within the NHS. Sanjana hopes to pursue a future career in Oncology, combining both clinical practice and research. She is particularly interested in cancer research and hopes to contribute to advancements in the understanding and treatment of cancer. 

Outside of academia and medicine, she enjoys hiking, staying active, and spending time outdoors.

Susanne trained as a neuroscientist in the Netherlands and moved to Boston in 2015 to pursue her post-doctoral research fellowship in cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) under the mentorship of Prof. Steven Greenberg and Prof. Brian Bacskai. After completing her training, she established the Translational CAA Research Lab in the department of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital. In September 2025, she joined the BHF-UK DRI Centre for Vascular Dementia Research at the University of Edinburgh. She is the co-coordinator of the Leducq Foundation Transatlantic Network of Excellence on Brain Clearance and serves on the board of the International CAA Association.

Besides science, Susanne loves to go on long hiking trips in the mountains, study philosophy, or visit an art museum.