Kyra S. O'Brien, MD, MSHP
Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Senior Fellow, Penn Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics
Associate Program Director, Penn Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology Fellowship, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA
Medical Director, Penn Medicine GUIDE Program, Penn Medicine
Department: Neurology
Contact information
Penn Neuroscience Center - Neurology
3400 Civic Center Blvd
2nd Floor, South Pavilion
Philadelphia, PA 19104
3400 Civic Center Blvd
2nd Floor, South Pavilion
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Education:
BS (Biology)
Yale University, 2012.
MD (Medicine)
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 2016.
MSHP (Health services research)
University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 2024.
Permanent linkBS (Biology)
Yale University, 2012.
MD (Medicine)
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, 2016.
MSHP (Health services research)
University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, 2024.
Description of Clinical Expertise
Dementia, mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease, memory disorders, cognitive evaluation, dementia diagnosis, dementia careDescription of Research Expertise
Dementia care delivery, health services researchSelected Publications
Kyra O'Brien, Robert E. Burke, Debra Saliba: An Elusive Ideal - Why a Pragmatic 'Home Time' Quality Measure Remains Hard to Define. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society Jul 2025 Notes: https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.19594.Kyra O'Brien, Emily Largent, Jason Karlawish: Communicating a Diagnosis of Mild Cognitive Impairment or Dementia. JAMA Jul 2025 Notes: 10.1001/jama.2025.13006.
Nessen SJ, Chary AN, Bhananker AR, Muir KJ, Southerland LT, O'Brien K, and Friedman AB: NOTICE-ED: Nurse or Technician Insights Into Cognitive Evaluations in the Emergency Department. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society Jun 2025.
O'Brien K, Harkins K, Peifer M, Kleid M, Coykendall C, Shea J, Karlawish J, Burke R: Designing an Intervention to Improve Cognitive Evaluations in Primary Care. Implementation Science Communications 6(9), Jan 2025.
Erickson C, Largent EA, O'Brien K: Paving the way for Alzheimer’s blood-based biomarkers in primary care. Alzheimer's & Dementia Dec 2024 Notes: doi.org/10.1002/alz.14203.
O'Brien K, Largent E A., Karlawish J: Applying recommendations for diagnostic disclosure of mild cognitive impairment and dementia: Practical guidance for clinicians. Alzheimer's & Dementia Dec 2024 Notes: doi.org/10.1002/alz.14200.
O’Brien, K.S., Mechanic-Hamilton, D.J., Rascovsky, K., Hamilton, R.H: Degenerative Disorders of Cognition. Achieving Equity in Neurological Practice: Principles and Pathways. Ovbiagele, B., Lewis, S., Correa, D.J., Thomas, R., Charleston IV, L. (eds.). Springer, Cham,(1), 71-89, Oct 2024.
Cousins KAQ, Phillips JS, Das SR, O'Brien K, Tropea TF, Chen-Plotkin A, Shaw LM, Nasrallah IM, Mechanic-Hamilton D, McMillan CT, Irwin DJ, Lee EB, Wolk DA: Pathologic and cognitive correlates of plasma biomarkers in neurodegenerative disease. Alzheimer's & Dementia 20(6): 3889-3905, Apr 2024 Notes: doi.org/10.1002/alz.13777.
Kyra O’Brien MD, Kristin Harkins MPH, MaryAnne Peifer MD MSIS, Melanie Kleid, Cameron Coykendall, Robert Burke MD MS, Judy Shea PhD, Jason Karlawish MD : Clinician-reported factors influencing performance of cognitive evaluations in primary care. Poster session presented at the 2024 American Academy of Neurology Annual Meeting, Denver, CO Apr 2024.
O'Brien K, Coykendall C, Kleid M, Harkins K, Chin N, Clapp JT, Karlawish J: Determinants of Plasma Alzheimer’s Disease Biomarker Use by Primary Care Providers and Dementia Specialists. Journal of General Internal Medicine 39(9): 1713-1720, Jan 2024 Notes: doi: 10.1007/s11606-023-08583-9. Online ahead of print.