A recent conference brought researchers from around the world to Yale University to discuss the removal of waste proteins in the brain and on cerebral amyloid angiopathy, a brain condition which causes amyloid beta to accumulate in the brain’s blood vessels.
These features distinguish cerebral amyloid angiopathy from Alzheimer’s disease. In Alzheimer’s disease, amyloid beta and tau proteins build up in brain tissue, not in the vasculature.
Yale School of Medicine’s Department of Anesthesiology hosted the Leducq Foundation Transatlantic Network of Excellence on Brain Clearance from March 11-13, 2026, at the Greenberg Conference Center.
The three-day program began with remarks from Helene Benveniste, MD, PhD, vice chair of research for Yale’s Department of Anesthesiology. The event brought leading scientists together To determine whether cerebral amyloid angiopathy is driven by impaired brain waste clearance of waste solutes including amyloid-β.
As researchers continue to study this disease and investigate its causes, the regular Leducq meetings provide a specialized forum that allows for the sharing of new ideas and findings within the network.
"The Leducq network is inherently collaborative, which makes regular meetings essential for our success," says Benveniste. "Each partner site conducts specialized research that is foundational to the work of the others."
Yale School of Medicine welcomed researchers from several different institutions, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the Universities of Edinburgh, Leiden and Toulouse.
The keynote speaker, Laura Lewis, PhD, an associate professor from MIT, presented on imaging cerebrospinal fluid dynamics in the human brain in relation to sleep. Other notable presentations were centered on hydrocephalus, pharmacology, and additional therapeutic insights pertaining to cerebral amyloid angiopathy.
Aside from the research presentations, attendees also got the opportunity to experience some of what Yale and the broader New Haven area has to offer. Conference participants enjoyed their downtime with a visit to The Cushing Center, a reception dinner at Pepe’s Pizza, and a campus tour of Yale University.
“These in-person gatherings are invaluable,” says Benveniste. “They provide a crucial forum not only for in-depth discussion of recent findings, but also for strategic planning of future research directions.”