John Q. Trojanowski, M.D., Ph.D.

Co-Director, Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research
Director, Institute on Aging & Director
Director, Alzheimer's Disease Core Center
Director, Penn Udall Center for Parkinson's Research
William Maul Measey-Truman G. Schnabel, Jr. MD Professor of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology

Mailing Address:

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Maloney 3rd Floor, 36th and Spruce Streets
Philadelphia, PA 19104-4283 USA
Office: 215-662-6399	Fax: 215-349-5909
E-mail: trojanow@mail.med.upenn.edu

Partners in Research Websites:

Institute on Aging Website

Penn ADCC Website

Penn Udall Center Website

Publications are available through Pubmed.

Dr. Trojanowski's Research

Research currently centers on molecular mechanisms of neuron dysfunction, degeneration and death in normal aging and in neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, frontotemporal dementias with/without parkinsonism, motor neuron disease, etc.). This research uses immunological, biochemical, genetic, molecular and morphological methods to study human CNS and PNS tissue samples (postmortem or surgical), cell lines, synthetic proteins, and transgenic models of neurodegenerative diseases. Dr. Trojanowski is involved in collaborative initiatives between PENN Medicine and the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing to advance drug discovery, clinical research, and patient care related to Alzheimer’s disease and the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) to test whether serial magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography, other biological markers, and clinical and neuropsychological assessment can be combined to measure the progression of mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and early Alzheimer's disease.

Dr. Trojanowski's Bio

Dr. Trojanowski obtained his M.D./Ph.D. in 1976 from Tufts University in Boston. After a medicine internship at Mt. Auburn Hospital and Harvard Medical School, he began pathology/neuropathology training at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School (1977-1979) and completed training at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1980 where he was appointed assistant professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine (1/1/1981) and rose to tenured full professor in 1990. Dr. Trojanowski held or currently holds major leadership positions at the University of Pennsylvania including:

Director, National Institute of Aging (NIA) Alzheimer’s Disease Core Center (1991-present),
Principal Investigator, NIA Program Project Grant on Alzheimer’s (AD) and Parkinson’s (PD) disease (1990-2010),
Director, Medical Pathology (1988-2002),
Interim Director (2001-2002) and Director (2002-present), Institute on Aging
founding Co-Director, Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research (1992-present)
Director, NINDS Morris K. Udall Penn Udall Center of Excellence for Parkinson's Disease Research (2007-present)
the first William Maul Measey-Truman G. Schnabel, Jr., M.D. Professor of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology (2003-present)
Co-director, Marian S. Ware Alzheimer Drug Discovery Program (2004-present)

For over 20 years, Dr. Trojanowski has conducted research on AD, PD, ALS, dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD) and other aging related nervous system disorders. Most of his >700 publications focus on the pathobiology of neurodegenerative disorders, especially the role of abnormal protein aggregates (misfolded proteins) in these diseases. The major goal of his research now is to translate understanding on mechanisms of aging related neurodegenerative diseases into meaningful diagnostics and interventions to treat or prevent these disorders.

Dr. Trojanowski has received awards for his research including:

MERIT Award (1986-1994), National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Metropolitan Life Foundation Promising Investigator Award For Alzheimer’s Disease Research (1991)
Membership, American Society of Clinical Investigation (1991)
Established Investigator Award, National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression (1994)
Metropolitan Life Foundation Award For Alzheimer’s Disease Research (1996)
Potamkin Prize For Research In Pick’s, Alzheimer’s And Related Diseases (1998)
First Pioneer Award from the Alzheimer’s Association (1998)
ISI Highly Cited Researcher 2000 (most highly cited neuroscientists for 1997-2007)
The Stanley Cohen Biomedical Research Award of the University of Pennsylvania (2000)
Membership, Association of American Physicians (2000)
The 2004 Irving Wright Award of Distinction of the American Federation for Aging Research
2005 Rous-Whipple Award of the American Society for Investigative Pathology
24th Annual Robert J. and Claire Pasarow Foundation Award in Neuropsychiatry Research

Dr. Trojanowski was elected president of the American Association of Neuropathologists (1997-1998). Dr. Trojanowski was elected to the Institute of Medicine (2002), and he has served and continues to serve on local and national aging research committees including the NIA Neuroscience, Behavior and Sociology of Aging Study Section (1987-1991), the National Advisory Council on Aging (NACA) of the NIA (1994-1998), the NACA Working Group Chair (1996-1998), the Medical and Scientific Advisory Board of the National Alzheimer’s Association (1994-1997), as well as for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association (1992- present), the NIA Board of Scientific Counselors (1998-2002), the Scientific Advisory Boards of the Paul Beeson Physician Faculty Scholars In Aging Award (1998-2002), the Alliance for Aging Research (2002-present), and the Association of Frontotemporal Dementia (2003-present), and the Organizing Committee of the International Conferences On Progress In Alzheimer’s And Parkinson’s Disease (2001-2010).

To help the public understand what is needed to cure and/or prevent disorders like AD, Dr. Trojanowski led an effort to prepare an educational film on healthy brain aging and AD ("Alzheimer's Disease: Facing the Facts") that aired on more than 80% of PBS outlets throughout 2009. This film won a 2008 CINE "Golden Eagle Award" and a 2009 Emmy Award for short documentary films.