MELLON LAB
by Adrián Noriega de la Colina
Adrián Noriega de la Colina, MD PhD
Dr. Noriega de la Colina is a physician-scientist at the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery at McGill University and The Montreal Neurology Institute-Hospital. He also serves as the Clinical Lead at Perceiv AI, an AI-driven precision medicine company developing a multimodal prognostic platform to forecast disease progression in age-related disorders, with a particular focus on Alzheimer's disease.
His research centers on using precision medicine techniques to predict patient responses to lifestyle interventions aimed at preventing neurodegenerative diseases. With expertise in brain aging and disease forecasting, Dr. Noriega de la Colina's work involves developing innovative neuroengineering solutions for Alzheimer’s and cerebrovascular disorders. It integrates precision medicine through a multidisciplinary approach, combining behavioral neuroscience with advanced AI techniques to design personalized interventions for at-risk populations.
Dr. Noriega de la Colina is also an MIT Catalyst Fellow, recognized as an Emerging Leader by the World Heart Federation, and a member of the Forbes Technology Council. His contributions extend to his roles on the Editorial Boards of Stroke, the Canadian Journal of Cardiology, and CJCO. His work continues to help shape the understanding of brain aging, leveraging technology and precision medicine to enhance the prediction and management of age-related neurodegenerative diseases.
Latest Developments
In January 2025, the Alzheimer Society of Montreal announced the creation of its Scientific Advisory Committee.
This new advisory body is composed of:
• Dr. Antonella Santuccione Chadha, MD
• Dr. Saskia Sivananthan, PhD
• Dr. Paolo Vitali MD PhD
• Dr. Adrián Noriega de la Colina, MD PhD
• Dr. Louis Bherer PhD
With the creation of this Advisory Body, the Alzheimer Society reaffirms its commitment to individuals living with a neurocognitive disorder, their caregivers, and healthcare professionals.
Heart Café at ACC2025: "Deepening Our Understanding of the Heart–Brain Connection to Advance Optimal Health"
Panel discussion with Dr. Laurence Sperling (Katz Professor in Preventive Cardiology at the Emory University School of Medicine) and Dr. Laxmi Mehta (Professor of Medicine in the Division of Cardiovascular Medicine at The Ohio State University). "Heart Health is Brain Health".
Publications (Past 5 years)
Nemati D, Noriega de la Colina A, Wright KD, Joseph JJ, Kaushal N. An I-Change approach to understanding exercise determinants among black individuals with hypertension. Journal of Hypertension. 2025. | doi:10.1097/HJH.0000000000003974. Online ahead of print.
Walker CS, Noriega de la Colina A, Li L, et al. Protocol for an intergenerational randomized controlled trial to enhance physical activity in older adults at risk for Alzheimer’s disease. J Prev Alzheimers Dis. 2025;12(3):100039. doi:10.1016/j.tjpad.2024.100039
Noriega de la Colina A, Morris TP, Kramer AF, et al. Your move: A precision medicine framework for physical activity in aging. NPJ Aging. 2024;10:16. doi:10.1038/s41514-024-00141-9
Thovinakere N, Ai M, Noriega de la Colina A, Walker C, Baracchini G, Tremblay-Mercier J, Villeneuve S, Spreng N, Geddes MR. Ventromedial frontoinsular connectivity is associated with long-term smoking behavior change in aging. Imaging Neuroscience 2024; 2 1–20. doi: https://doi.org/10.1162/imag_a_00142
Kaushal N, Noriega de la Colina A, Keith NR, Nemati D. Predicting Exercise Behavior Among Caregivers of Persons With Dementia-A Longitudinal Investigation Using an Extended Health Belief Model. Gerontologist. 2024 Jul 1;64(7):gnad159. doi: 10.1093/geront/gnad159. PMID: 37975175.
Ai M, Morris TP, Noriega de la Colina A, Thovinakere N, Tremblay-Mercier J, Villeneuve S, H Hillman C, Kramer AF, Geddes MR. PREVENT-AD Research Group. Midlife physical activity engagement is associated with later-life brain health. Neurobiol Aging. 2024 Feb;134:146-159. doi: 10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2023.11.004.
Ai M, Morris TP, Zhang J, Noriega de la Colina A, Tremblay-Mercier J, Villeneuve S, Whitfield-Gabrieli S, Kramer AF, Geddes MR. PREVENT-AD Research Group. Resting-state MRI functional connectivity as a neural correlate of multidomain lifestyle adherence in older adults at risk for Alzheimer's disease. Sci Rep. 2023 May 9;13(1):7487. doi: 10.1038/s41598-023-32714-1.
Noriega de la Colina A, Lioutas VA. Arterial Stiffness as the Prevailing Risk Factor for Cerebral Small Vessel Disease in Stroke-Free Individuals. Stroke. 2023 Nov;54(11):2822-2823. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.123.044475.
Kaushal N, Nemati D, Mann-Krzisnik D, Noriega de la Colina A. Comparing exercise determinants between Black and White older adults with heart failure. BMC Geriatr 23, 614 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12877-023-04305-2
Walker C, Noriega de la Colina A, Geddes MR. Behavioural interventions to enhance empathy in dementia care. In: World Alzheimer Report 2022: Life After Diagnosis: Navigating Treatment, Care and Support. 2022. Alzheimer’s Disease International. https://www.alzint.org/u/World-Alzheimer-Report-2022.pdf
Noriega de la Colina A, Badji A, Lamarre-Cliche M, Bherer L, Girouard H, Kaushal N. Arterial stiffness and age moderate the association between physical activity and global cognition in older adults. J Hypertens. 2022 Feb 1;40(2):245-253. doi: 10.1097/HJH.0000000000003000.
Ai M, Morris TP, Ordway C, Quiñónez E, D'Agostino F, Whitfield-Gabrieli S, Hillman CH, Pindus DM, McAuley E, Mayo N, Noriega de la Colina A, Phillips S, Kramer AF, Geddes M. The Daily Activity Study of Health (DASH): A pilot randomized controlled trial to enhance physical activity in sedentary older adults. Contemp Clin Trials. 2021 Jul;106:106405. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2021.106405.
Noriega de la Colina A, Badji A, Robitaille-Grou MC, Gagnon C, Boshkovski T, Lamarre-Cliche M, Joubert S, Gauthier CJ, Bherer L, Cohen-Adad J, Girouard H. Associations Between Relative Morning Blood Pressure, Cerebral Blood Flow, and Memory in Older Adults Treated and Controlled for Hypertension. Hypertension. 2021 May 5;77(5):1703-1713. doi: 10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.120.16124.
Noriega de la Colina A, Bherer L, Juneau M, Roy D, Tardif J-C. Hospitals of History: The Montreal Heart Institute. Circulation. 2021. https://www.ahajournals.org/pb-assets/AHAJournals/Circ/Hospitals%20History/Montreal%20Heart%20Institute%20PDF-1638478490283.pdf
Badji A, Noriega de la Colina A, Boshkovski T, Sabra D, Karakuzu A, Robitaille-Grou MC, Gros C, Joubert S, Bherer L, Lamarre-Cliche M, Stikov N, Gauthier CJ, Cohen-Adad J, Girouard H. A Cross-Sectional Study on the Impact of Arterial Stiffness on the Corpus Callosum, a Key White Matter Tract Implicated in Alzheimer's Disease. J Alzheimers Dis. 2020;77(2):591-605. doi: 10.3233/JAD-200668.
Badji A, Noriega de la Colina A, Karakuzu A, Duval T, Desjardins-Crépeau L, Parizet M, Joubert S, Bherer L, Lamarre-Cliche M, Stikov N, Cohen-Adad J, Girouard H. Arterial stiffness cut-off value and white matter integrity in the elderly. Neuroimage Clin. 2020;26:102007. doi: 10.1016/j.nicl.2019.102007.
Langeard A, Fakrahnak Z, Vrinceanu T, Noriega de la Colina A, Pothier K, Berryman N, Vu TTM, Girouard H, Karelis AD, Bherer L. Sex-moderated association between body composition and cognition in older adults. Exp Gerontol. 2020 Sep;138:111002. doi: 10.1016/j.exger.2020.111002.
Noriega de la Colina A, Wu R, Desjardins-Crépeau L, Badji A, Lamarre-Cliche M, Doyon J, Bherer L, Girouard H. Diurnal blood pressure loads are associated with lower cognitive performances in controlled-hypertensive elderly individuals. J Hypertens. 2019 Nov;37(11):2168-2179. doi: 10.1097/HJH.0000000000002155.
Badji A, Noriega de la Colina A, Karakuzu A, Duval T, Desjardins-Crépeau L, Joubert S, Bherer L, Lamarre-Cliche M, Stikov N, Girouard H, Cohen-Adad J. Arterial stiffness and white matter integrity in the elderly: A diffusion tensor and magnetization transfer imaging study. Neuroimage. 2019 Feb 1;186:577-585. doi: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.11.015.
Gallery
Working Group with the Quebec Delegate-Minister of Economy M. Christopher Skeete, and industry representatives during the BIO2024 Trade Delegation in San Diego.
With GrandMasters and former World Chess Champions Garry Kasparov and Anatoly Karpov at age 23, in preparation for the upcoming Chess Olympiad.
Conversation with the British High Commissioner to Canada, Susannah Goshko, for the Circle of Young Leaders at the offices of Gowling WLG, Montréal.
Left. With Katerina Tzotzi and Emmanuella Lambropoulos, Member of Parliament for Saint-Laurent. Right. With Alan DeSousa, Mayor of Saint Laurent, Vana Nazarian and Aref Salem, City Councillors, Ville de Montréal.
Left. Dr. Paolo Vitali, Neurologist at the McGill University Research Centre for Studies in Aging. Right Dr. Louis Bherer, Director @ÉPIC Centre-Montreal Heart Institute.
Top Left. With Victor Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade of Ontario.
Top Right. With the Merck Canada team: Jennifer Chan, Jeffrey Guiler, and Octavio Rego.
Lower Left. With the Mayor of Laval, Stéphane Boyer.
Lower Right. With the President & CEO of Roche Canada Pharmaceuticals, Brigitte Nolet.
With Christian Dansereau, CEO of Perceiv AI.
With Prof. Miia Kivipelto, PI @FINGER study. Founding Director, CSO and CMO of the FINGERS Brain Health Institute.
At The Neuro with Éric Maubert, Program Lead for the Ministerial Plan for Neurocognitive disorders, RUISSS territory, McGill University, and Andréa Faust, Team Manager at Schouela CEDurable.
Top Left. With Katerina Tzotzi and the Speaker of the House of Commons, Greg Fergus.
Lower Left. With Maxime Blanchette-Joncas, Member of Parliament for Rimouski-Neigette—Témiscouata—Les Basques.
Center. With Mona Nemer, Chief Science Advisor of Canada.
Lower Right. With Senator Rosa Gálvez.
In Parliament Hill, with Rhéal Fortin, Member of Parliament for Rivière-du-Nord.
With Dr. María C. Carillo, CSO @Alzheimer's Association
Funding
