IOA Divisions

Division of Basic Neurodegenerative Disease Research

Division Leader: Edward B. Lee, MD, PhD

This division focuses on basic, mechanistic research into the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (frontotemporal degeneration, dementia with Lewy bodies), movement disorders, and motor neuron diseases.  The key strengths and focus of this division have been in biochemistry, genetics, and pathology.

Division of Clinical and Translational Neurodegenerative Disease Research

Division Leader: David A. Wolk, MD

This division focuses on translational and clinical research on neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (frontotemporal degeneration, dementia with Lewy bodies), movement disorders, and motor neuron diseases.  The key strengths and focus of this division include biomarker development and validation (biofluid, neuroimaging, multimodal integration), studies on the structure and function of the aging brain (neuropsychology, clinical outcomes, neuroimaging), and the development of care models.  This division encourages an emphasis on translating basic research into clinical trials and practice.

Division of Geroscience, Gerontology, and Geriatrics

Division Leaders: F. Bradley Johnson, MD, PhD, and Anne Cappola, MD, ScM

This division focuses on basic, translational, and clinical research on human aging including basic molecular alterations (telomere biology, epigenetics, metabolism) and clinical phenotypes (frailty, integrated care models, metabolism).

Division of Epidemiology, Social Science, and Policy

Division Leader: Norma Coe, PhD

This division focuses on social, ethical, and legal scholarship in addition to population science and epidemiology as it relates to neurodegenerative diseases and aging.  These include research on understudied populations (global, underrepresented), the social impact of aging-related diseases, ethical and health economics considerations in aging and neurodegenerative disease and their interface with policy and legal frameworks.