Adiya Rakymzhan

Adiya Rakymzhan completed her B.S. degree in Physics at Nazarbayev University in Kazakhstan before pursuing an M.S. in Bioengineering at the University of Washington. During her master's studies, she worked in the Biophotonics and Imaging Laboratory, where she developed innovative biomedical imaging techniques aimed at the early diagnosis, treatment, and management of human diseases. Currently, Adiya is a PhD candidate in the Neural Engineering track and a fellow of the American Heart Association. She conducts her research at the Neuroimaging Lab under the direction of Prof. Alberto Vazquez. Her PhD research focuses on exploring the interactions between neural networks—particularly inhibitory neurons—and the cerebrovascular system in both healthy and diseased states. She aims to apply this understanding to improve diagnostics and treatment options for neurodegenerative and psychiatric disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease and schizophrenia.

  • BS, Nazarbayev University
  • MS, University of Washington

  • Rakymzhan, A., Fukuda, M., Yoshida Kozai, T.D., & Vazquez, A.L. (2024). Parvalbumin interneuron activity induces slow cerebrovascular fluctuations in awake mice. bioRxiv, 2024.06.15.599179.Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. doi: 10.1101/2024.06.15.599179.
  • Ruff, C.F., Juarez Anaya, F., Dienel, S.J., Rakymzhan, A., Altamirano-Espinoza, A., Couey, J.J., Fukuda, M., Watson, A.M., Su, A., Fish, K.N., Rubio, M.E., Hooks, B.M., Ross, S.E., & Vazquez, A.L. (2024). Long-range inhibitory neurons mediate cortical neurovascular coupling. Cell Rep, 43(4), 113970.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2024.113970.
  • Ruff, C.F., Anaya, F.J., Dienel, S.J., Rakymzhan, A., Altamirano-Espinoza, A., Couey, J., Watson, A.M., Fish, K.N., Hooks, B.M., Rubio, M.E., Su, A., Ross, S.E., & Vazquez, A.L. (2022). Long-range inhibitory neurons mediate cortical neurovascular coupling. 2022.10.11.511811.Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory. doi: 10.1101/2022.10.11.511811.
  • Rakymzhan, A., Li, Y., Tang, P., & Wang, R.K. (2021). Differences in cerebral blood vasculature and flow in awake and anesthetized mouse cortex revealed by quantitative optical coherence tomography angiography. J Neurosci Methods, 353, 109094.Elsevier. doi: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2021.109094.
  • Li, Y., Rakymzhan, A., Tang, P., & Wang, R.K. (2020). Procedure and protocols for optical imaging of cerebral blood flow and hemodynamics in awake mice. Biomed Opt Express, 11(6), 3288-3300.Optica Publishing Group. doi: 10.1364/BOE.394649.
  • Rakymzhan, A., Li, Y., Tang, P., & Wang, R.K. (2020). Optical microangiography reveals temporal and depth-resolved hemodynamic change in mouse barrel cortex during whisker stimulation. J Biomed Opt, 25(9). doi: 10.1117/1.JBO.25.9.096005.
  • Tang, P., Li, Y., Rakymzhan, A., Xie, Z., & Wang, R.K. (2020). Measurement and visualization of stimulus-evoked tissue dynamics in mouse barrel cortex using phase-sensitive optical coherence tomography. Biomed Opt Express, 11(2), 699-710.Optica Publishing Group. doi: 10.1364/BOE.381332.
  • Li, Y., Tang, P., Song, S., Rakymzhan, A., & Wang, R.K. (2019). Electrically tunable lens integrated with optical coherence tomography angiography for cerebral blood flow imaging in deep cortical layers in mice. Opt Lett, 44(20), 5037-5040.Optica Publishing Group. doi: 10.1364/OL.44.005037.
  • Rakymzhan, A., Yakupov, T., Yelemessova, Z., Bukasov, R., Yakovlev, V.V., & Utegulov, Z.N. (2019). Time-resolved Assessment of Drying Plants by Brillouin and Raman Spectroscopies. J Raman Spectrosc, 50(12), 1881-1889.Wiley. doi: 10.1002/jrs.5742.

  • Anaya, F.J., Ruff, C., Rakymzhan, A., Ross, S., & Vazquez, A. (2022). Tacr1 neurons mediate slow vascular oscillations that may underlie glymphatic function. In JOURNAL OF CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW AND METABOLISM, 42(1_SUPPL), (pp. 87-88).
  • Rakymzhan, A., & Vazquez, A. (2022). Optogenetic activation of Parvalbumin interneurons induce slow vascular fluctuations. In JOURNAL OF CEREBRAL BLOOD FLOW AND METABOLISM, 42(1_SUPPL), (p. 28).
  • Rakymzhan, A., Yakupov, T., Yelemessova, Z., Bukasov, R., Yakovlev, V.V., & Utegulov, Z.N. (2017). Monitoring of vegetation drying by Brillouin and Raman spectroscopies. In Kim, M.S., Chao, K., Chin, B.A., & Cho, B.K. (Eds.). In Proceedings of SPIE--the International Society for Optical Engineering, 10217, (p. 102170c-102170c-6).SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics. doi: 10.1117/12.2263535.
headshot of Adiya Rakymzhan
Contact Adiya Rakymzhan
Associate Post Doctoral
ADR88@pitt.edu
Bioengineering Department