Victor E. Alvarez

Assistant Professor, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine

Biography

Dr. Alvarez completed his undergraduate degree at Boston College and earned his MD from St. George’s University. He completed residency training in Anatomic and Clinical Pathology at the University of Rochester School of Medicine, fellowship training in Oncologic Surgical Pathology at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, General Surgical Pathology fellowship training at Danbury Hospital, and Neuropathology fellowship training at Brown University. Dr. Alvarez is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Boston University and manages laboratory and Brain Bank operations at the Bedford VA Hospital and the Boston VA Hospital, Jamaica Plain. He is a member of the New England Veterans Administration Medical Centers (VISN-1) Brain Banks and the Brain Banks for the Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Center for the Study of Traumatic Encephalopathy, and Framingham Heart Study.

Dr. Alvarez’s research interests center on the relationship between neurotrauma and neurodegenerative diseases. Much of his current work centers on standardizing Brain Banking protocols between the various centers. He is an acting neuropathologist involved with the brain banks for the Boston University Alzheimer Disease Center, CTE Center, and Framingham Heart Study as well as the PTSD brain bank. Dr. Alvarez is a member of the College of American Pathologists and the American Society of Clinical Pathologists.

Publications

  • Published 12/1/2025

    Stein T, Breen K, Aytan N, Hawkins S, Nicks R, Alvarez V, Mez J, Blusztajn J, Cherry J, McKee A, Lin H. Duration of contact sports play associated with aberrant DNA methylation in human frontal cortex. Res Sq. 2025 Dec 01. PMID: 41377989.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 11/20/2025

    Hartman S, Aytan N, Nicks R, Hawkins S, Cherry J, Alvarez VE, Meng G, Tripodis Y, Martin B, Palmisano J, Goldstein LE, Katz DI, Dwyer B, Daneshvar DH, Crary JF, Alosco M, Xia W, McKee AC, Mez J, Stein TD. Genetic variation in TMEM106B alters microglial activation and cytokine responses in chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Acta Neuropathol. 2025 Nov 20; 150(1):54. PMID: 41264095.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 10/29/2025

    Pulukuri SV, Spurlock EE, Tuz-Zahra F, Tripodis Y, Sampani K, Nicks R, Meng G, Alvarez VE, McKee AC, Xia W, Mordes DA, Subramanian ML, Stein TD. Vitreous STMN2 levels reflect TDP-43-associated neurodegeneration in postmortem eyes and brains. J Alzheimers Dis Rep. 2025; 9:25424823251392553. PMID: 41180957.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 10/1/2025

    Kanner H, Tilton C, Alvarez VE, Stein TD, McKee AC, Cherry JD. Comparison of multiple quantitative strategies for neuropathologic image analyses. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 2025 Oct 01; 84(10):928-940. PMID: 40814960.

    Read at: PubMed

  • Published 9/17/2025

    Butler MLMD, Pervaiz N, Breen K, Calderazzo S, Ypsilantis P, Wang Y, Breda JC, Mazzilli S, Nicks R, Spurlock E, Hefti MM, Fiock KL, Huber BR, Alvarez VE, Stein TD, Campbell JD, McKee AC, Cherry JD. Repeated head trauma causes neuron loss and inflammation in young athletes. Nature. 2025 Nov; 647(8088):228-237. PMID: 40963024.

    Read at: PubMed

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Other Positions

  • Investigator
    Framingham Heart Study
  • Investigator, Alzheimer's Disease Research Center
    Boston University
  • Investigator, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center
    Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
  • Investigator, PTSD Brain Bank
    VA Healthcare System

Websites

Education

  • St. George's University School of Medicine, MD

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