Telephone: (631)344-7006 
Fax: (631) 344-5311
email: benveniste@bnl.gov

Early diagnosis of Alzheimers’ Disease with MRI
MR Contrast Mechanisms in Neurodegenerative diseases
Neuroinformatics imaging database for transgentic mice

Research Interests

Recent and current research in Helene Benveniste’s laboratory has focused on (a) the application of high resolution magnetic resonance imaging in the study of Neurodegenerative diseases and (b) development of a neuroinformatics imaging database for transgenic mice imaging. She has published in the field of high resolution magnetic resonance imaging since 1990 and recently she was the first to define MR parameters for detection of amyloid positive neuritic plaques in Alzheimer’s disease. In addition, Dr. Benveniste is a clinical anesthesiologist and is currently in the process of initiating research with the functional imaging group in the BNL Medical Department focusing on understanding mechanism of anesthetics and consciousness. Her ongoing research is funded by the NIDA, the Alzheimer’s Association, the American alliance for Aging Research and she was recently awarded a Faculty development award from New York State (NYSTAR).

Education & Concurrent Positions

Dr. Benveniste received her medical degree from the University of Copenhagen, Denmark and her PhD in Neurobiology from Institute of Neuropathology, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. She completed a fellowship in high-resolution Magnetic Resonance Imaging at Department of Radiology, Duke University Medical Center from 1990-1992. Subsequently she competed internship in primary care/Family Medicine followed by a Residency in Anesthesiology at Duke University (1993-1996). She was on the Faculty in the Department of Anesthesiology at Duke University from 1996-2001. She is now Full Professor of Anesethesiology at SUNY-SB and Scientist in the Medical Department at BNL.

Selected Publications

Benveniste H, Drejer J, Schousboe A, Diemer NH, “Elevation of the extracellular concentrations of glutamate and aspartate in rat hippocampus during transient cerebral ischemia monitored by intracerebral microdialysis”, J Neurochem, 43., 1984, 1369-1373. Medline Abstract

Benveniste H, Hüttemeier P. Microdialysis - Theory and application. Progress in Neurobiology, 35:195-215, 1990. Medline Abstract 

Benveniste H, Hedlund LW, Johnson GA. Mechanism of detection of acute cerebral ischemia in rats by diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance microscopy. Stroke 23:746-754, 1992. Medline Abstract

Benveniste H, Einstein G, Kim K, Hulette C, Johnson GA. MR Microscopy of senile plaques in alzheimer’s disease by T2* contrast. PNAS, 96(24), 14079-14084, 1999 Medline Abstract 

Benveniste H, Kim KR, Zhang L, Johnson GA. Magnetic Resonance Microscopy of the C57BL Mouse Brain. NeuroImage 11, 601-611, 2000 Medline Abstract