From Bench to Brain: How Combined Models Help Decode PSP
Early Investigator Spotlight: Dr. Naomi Visanji
November 24, 2025
Meet Dr. Naomi Visanji
Dr. Naomi Visanji is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathobiology at the University of Toronto and a Staff Scientist at the Krembil Research Institute. She is also a Principal Investigator at the Tanz Centre for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases.
Originally from the United Kingdom, Dr. Visanji completed her PhD in Pharmacology at King’s College London before moving to Canada. Her research focuses on how certain brain proteins, like tau and alpha-synuclein, cause damage in diseases such as Parkinson’s and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) and has published over 80 scientific papers in her field.
What drew you to dementia research?
At first, my interest in dementia research came from a deep fascination with the brain—a remarkable organ with so many mysteries still to uncover. As a young scientist, the excitement of discovery was impossible to ignore.
However, when my mother was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, which later progressed to involve severe dementia, my work took on a very different meaning. Living through her illness and then losing her to her disease completely changed the way I view my research.
What began as scientific curiosity has now become a personal mission: to better understand this disease that affects millions of families around the world.
What are you working on now?
My lab is developing a research model for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP), a serious brain disease that currently has no treatment or cure. PSP is the second most common condition, after Alzheimer’s disease, caused by the harmful buildup of a protein called tau in the brain.
To study how toxic tau spreads, we use a special mouse that carries the human version of the tau protein. By introducing tau from the brains of people who had PSP, we can study how it spreads and damages brain cells. This model will help us study the disease in its earliest stages and we hope will point us toward new ways to stop it.
Why does this work matter?
Animal research is an emotive and often sensitive topic, but animal models are an essential part of scientific discovery. They have been central to developing every new treatment for brain diseases.
Studying the brains of people who lived with PSP, and generously donated their brains after death, gives us vital information about what the disease looks like once it has fully developed. But to understand how it starts and spreads, we need to study living brain tissue. Animal models let us observe the earliest events of disease and follow how it changes over time.
By combining human brain samples with animal models, we can take the best from both approaches. This allows us to bridge the gap between what we see at the end of the disease and the earliest biological changes that drive it. By uncovering those early drivers, we hope to find new targets for treatments that could slow or stop disease progression and bring hope for the future.
Where do you see your career going next?
Science is very competitive, and I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to pursue a career in research. Dementia research benefits from bringing together people with different backgrounds and perspectives—from molecular biology and pathology to clinical care. This allows us to tackle the disease from all angles.
I am grateful to collaborate with experts across many fields, which not only strengthens my research but also ensures my findings are meaningful for patients and families. Alongside my research, I now have the privilege of mentoring the next generation of dementia scientists. I am thankful for the support I have received throughout my career to date and feel fortunate to be able to guide and encourage graduate students, whose enthusiasm and fresh ideas are inspiring.
Looking at the bigger picture
Dr. Visanji’s work helps bridge the gap between scientific discovery and lived experience. By studying how toxic proteins spread through the brain, she is helping to unlock new possibilities for prevention and treatment. Her research brings hope for earlier treatment and better care for people living with dementia and their families.