Shady Rahayel, Psy.D. Ph.D.
Assistant Research Professor
Department of Medicine, Université de Montréal
shady.rahayel@umontreal.ca
Training
Postdoctoral fellowship in Computational Neuroscience (McGill University)
Postdoctoral fellowship in Molecular Imaging (Institut universitaire de gériatrie de Montréal)
Graduate Concentration in Cognitive Science (University of Quebec in Montreal)
Psy.D. & Ph.D. in Psychology (University of Quebec in Montreal)
Research interests
My research interests focus on the use of brain imaging and computational neuroscience to understand the relationship between sleep and neurodegenerative diseases. I am particularly interested in isolated REM sleep behavior diosrder and synucleinopathies such as dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson’s disease.
Methodological approaches
Neuroimaging and computational neuroscience, magnetic resonance imaging, morphometry, connectomics, transcriptomics, molecular imaging, large-cohort studies.
Fundings
Junior 1 Research Scholar Award from the Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé
Years: 2024-2028
New Investigator Grant
Parkinson Canada
Title: Glymphatic Dysfunction as an Early Biomarker for Parkinson’s Disease and Related Dementias
Role: Principal Investigator
Years: 2025-2028
Amount: $135,000
MRI Biomarkers Program
The Michael J. Fox Foundation
Title: Validate Diffusion MRI Biomarkers of Early PD: A Multi-cohort Study of Free-water and CDM Measure
Role: Co-Principal Investigator
Years: 2025-2027
Amount: $650,000 (USD)
MRI Biomarkers Program
The Michael J. Fox Foundation
Title: Evaluation of Neuromelanin-sensitive, Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping and Free Water Imaging as Biomarkers of Nigral Dopaminergic Dysfunction
Role: Co-Principal Investigator
Years: 2025-2027
Amount: $650,000 (USD)
New Investigator Operating Grant
Alzheimer Society Canada
Title: Investigation of the Genetic and Connectivity Bases of Brain Atrophy Associated with Dementia with Lewy Bodies
Role: Principal Investigator
Years: 2023-2026
Amount: $150,000
Pilot Project Grant
Parkinson Canada
Title: Investigating White Matter Alterations to Understand Atrophy in Prodromal Parkinson’s Disease
Role: Principal Investigator
Years: 2023-2025
Amount: $74,220
My team
Jeannick Adoutoro, M.Sc.
Research assistant
Christina Tremblay, Ph.D.
Neuroimaging Analyst
Véronique Daneault, Ph.D.
Neuroimaging Analyst
Alexandre Pastor-Bernier, Ph.D.
Neuroimaging Analyst
Violette Ayral, M.Sc.
Ph.D. candidate
Léa Bastien, B.Sc.
M.Sc. candidate
Marie Filiatrault, M.Sc.
Ph.D. candidate
Celine Haddad, B.Sc Hons
Ph.D. candidate
Joseph Lefèvre-López, M.Sc.
M.Sc. candidate
Selected publications
Filiatrault M, Ayral V, Tremblay C, Haddad C, Daneault V, Pastor-Bernier A, Gagnon JF, Postuma RB, Dušek P, Mareček S, Varga Z, Klein JC, Hu MT, Arnulf I, Dodet P, Vidailhet M, Corvol JC, Lehéricy S; ICEBERG Study Group; Lewis S, Matar E, Ehgoetz Martens KA, Churchill L, Borghammer P, Knudsen K, Hansen AK, Arnaldi D, Orso B, Mattioli P, Roccatagliata L, RAHAYEL S. Estrogen-related receptor gene expression associates with sex differences in cortical atrophy in isolated REM sleep behavior disorder. Nat Commun. 2025 Oct 10;16(1):9016. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-63829-w.
Haddad C, Daneault V, Ayral V, Filiatrault M, Pastor-Bernier A, Tremblay C, Boré A, Descoteaux M, Vo A, Gagnon JF, Postuma RB, Dusek P, Marecek S, Varga Z, Klein J, Hu MT, Lehéricy S, Arnulf I, Vidailhet M, Corvol JC; ICEBERG Study Group; RAHAYEL S. Free water predicts dementia with Lewy bodies in isolated REM sleep behavior disorder. Alzheimers Dement. 2025 Sep;21(9):e70570. doi: 10.1002/alz.70570.
Ayral V, Pastor-Bernier A, Daneault V, Tremblay C, Filiatrault M, Haddad C, Gagnon JF, Postuma RB, Dušek P, Marecek S, Varga Z, Klein JC, Hu MT, Lehéricy S, Arnulf I, Vidailhet M, Corvol JC; ICEBERG Study Group; RAHAYEL S. Association of DTI-ALPS Glymphatic Index With Differential Phenoconversion in Isolated REM Sleep Behavior Disorder: A Multi-Cohort MRI Study. Neurology. 2025 Oct 7;105(7):e214042. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000214042.
Tremblay C, Pastor-Bernier A, Rheault F, Daneault V, Ayral V, Filiatrault M, Desaulniers L, Vo A, Gagnon JF, Postuma RB, Dusek P, Marecek S, Varga Z, Klein JC, Hu MT, Lehéricy S, Arnulf I, Dodet P, Vidailhet M, Corvol JC; ICEBERG Study Group; RAHAYEL S. Altered network efficiency in isolated REM sleep behavior disorder: A multicentric study. Alzheimers Dement. 2025 Aug;21(8):e70574. doi: 10.1002/alz.70574.
Joza S, Delva A, Tremblay C, Vo A, Filiatrault M, Tweedale M, Gagnon JF, Postuma RB, Dagher A, Klein J, Hu M, Dusek P, Marecek S, Varga Z, Taylor JP, O’Brien JT, Firbank M, Thomas A, Donaghy PC, Lehéricy S; Isabelle Arnulf; Vidailhet M, Corvol JC, Iceberg Study Group, Camicioli R, Chertkow H, Lewis S, Matar E, Ehgoetz Martens KA, Churchill L, Sommerauer M, Röttgen S, Borghammer P, Knudsen K, Hansen AK, Arnaldi D, Orso B, Mattioli P, Roccatagliata L, Monchi O, RAHAYEL S. Distinct brain atrophy progression subtypes underlie phenoconversion in isolated REM sleep behaviour disorder. The Lancet EBioMedicine. 2025 Jul;117:105753. doi: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2025.105753.
RAHAYEL S, Goupil R, Genest DS, Lamarche F, Agharazii M, Ayral V, Tremblay C, Madore F. Lower estimated glomerular filtration rate relates to cognitive impairment and brain alterations. Alzheimers Dement (Amst). 2024 Nov 27;16(4):e70044. doi: 10.1002/dad2.70044.
RAHAYEL S, Postuma R, Baril AA, Misic B, Pelletier A, Soucy JP, Montplaisir J, Dagher A, Gagnon JF. 99mTc-HMPAO SPECT Perfusion Signatures Associated With Clinical Progression in Patients With Isolated REM Sleep Behavior Disorder. Neurology. 2024 Feb;102(4):e208015. doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000208015.
RAHAYEL S, Tremblay C, Vo A, Misic B, Lehéricy S, Arnulf I, Vidailhet M, Corvol JC; ICEBERG Study Group; Gagnon JF, Postuma RB, Montplaisir J, Lewis S, Matar E, Ehgoetz Martens K, Borghammer P, Knudsen K, Hansen AK, Monchi O, Gan-Or Z, Dagher A; Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative. Mitochondrial function-associated genes underlie cortical atrophy in prodromal synucleinopathies. Brain. 2023 Aug 1;146(8):3301-3318. doi: 10.1093/brain/awad044.
RAHAYEL S, Tremblay C, Vo A, Zheng YQ, Lehéricy S, Arnulf I, Vidailhet M, Corvol JC; ICEBERG Study Group; Gagnon JF, Postuma RB, Montplaisir J, Lewis S, Matar E, Ehgoetz Martens K, Borghammer P, Knudsen K, Hansen A, Monchi O, Misic B, Dagher A. Brain atrophy in prodromal synucleinopathy is shaped by structural connectivity and gene expression. Brain. 2022 Sep 14;145(9):3162-3178. doi: 10.1093/brain/awac187.
RAHAYEL S, Mišić B, Zheng YQ, Liu ZQ, Abdelgawad A, Abbasi N, Caputo A, Zhang B, Lo A, Kehm V, Kozak M, Yoo HS, Dagher A, Luk KC. Differentially targeted seeding reveals unique pathological alpha-synuclein propagation patterns. Brain. 2022 Jun 3;145(5):1743-1756. doi: 10.1093/brain/awab440.
Projects
Development of MRI-based prognostic biomarkers to predict the emergence of dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson’s disease in individuals with isolated REM sleep behavior disorder
Investigation of brain abnormalities and the neurobiological and clinical correlates associated with dementia with Lewy bodies and Parkinson’s disease
Investigation of the neurodegenerative mechanisms underlying the development and progression of synucleinopathies using computational neuroscience approaches
Imaging transcriptomics and connectomic analyses in aging-related neurodegenerative diseases