Elizabeth Head

Elizabeth Head, PhD, is a Professor in the Departments of Pathology and Neurology at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, and serves as Vice Chair for Research in Pathology. Her work focuses on neuropathological mechanisms of neurodegenerative diseases, particularly dementia pugilistica (DP) linked to chronic traumatic brain injury (CTBI). Her research combines clinical and pathological analyses, including studies on tau and beta-amyloid pathologies, inflammation, and TDP-43 proteinopathies.

Her notable research includes a detailed case study of a retired boxer exhibiting DP, published in Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology. This work highlights the interplay between trauma-induced neuroinflammation and protein aggregation in neurodegeneration.

Dr. Head’s contributions bridge clinical observations with microscopic pathology, emphasizing the role of microglial activation and complement proteins like C1q in disease progression. Her findings have implications for understanding Alzheimer’s disease and traumatic encephalopathy syndromes.