Irving E. Vega

Irving E. Vega is an Associate Professor at Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine in the Department of Translational Neuroscience. His primary research focus lies in the molecular and biochemical mechanisms of pathological tau accumulation in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias, with a secondary emphasis on ethnoracial disparities in neurodegenerative disease biomarkers.

• University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez Campus (Biology, B.S. 1996)
• Rutgers University (Cell Biology & Neuroscience, Ph.D. 2002)

Dr. Vega's research explores how neurons respond to pathological tau in different brain regions, utilizing techniques like mass spectrometry-based proteomics, mouse models of tauopathy, and liquid chromatography. His work spans Alzheimer's disease mechanisms, neurodegenerative protein aggregation, and social determinants of cognitive health in Latino communities.

Recent publications highlight his contributions to understanding EFhd2-tau interactions through liquid-liquid phase separation, epigenetic patterns in Parkinson's disease hemispheric asymmetry, and cross-reactivity of phosphorylated tau antibodies. He has also published methodological work on recombinant protein validation.

Dr. Vega's technical expertise includes ELISA, Western Blot, mouse models, and protein purification. He leads the Vega Lab, which integrates biochemical and clinical approaches to tauopathies.