Dr. Pascoal is a behavioral neurologist and Associate Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology at the University of Pittsburgh, where he holds an Endowed Faculty in the Pathophysiology and Treatment of Dementia. He also serves as an Attending Neurologist at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. His research focuses on quantifying brain pathophysiology in Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related dementias to enhance diagnostic precision and therapeutic monitoring. He specializes in the validation and clinical implementation of PET and blood-based biomarkers to measure and track disease progression.

He has led multiple landmark studies in AD biomarker development, including the validation of second-generation tau PET tracers—now widely adopted in clinical trials—and the initial discovery of plasma p-tau biomarkers. His research has also advanced understanding of non-neuronal contributions to disease progression, including astrocytes and microglia, offering new perspectives on AD pathophysiology in living humans.

Dr. Pascoal is the Principal Investigator of two large-scale RO1s, including the multicenter HEAD study—the largest PET methodological study to date. He collaborates extensively through NIH-funded initiatives and several international consortia. He also leads the Fluid Biomarkers Core at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate Program.

He currently supervises 13 postdoctoral fellows and 2 research assistant professors in his laboratory; nine of his trainees have secured independent funding in recent years as principal investigators through the prestigious and highly competitive Alzheimer's Association grants.

He is a standing member of the NIH CDBA study section and chairs the Clinical Toolbox committee of the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference. He authored the most recent Alzheimer’s World Report on tau PET and serves on advisory panels for the World Health Organization and the Critical Path for Alzheimer’s Disease. His honors include the Alavi-Mandell Award, the Dale Schenk Roundtable Award, and the Barrett Family Foundation Distinction Award from the Alzheimer Society of Canada.