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
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.
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.
Post-Graduate Training
Intern, Internal Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 2016-2017.
Resident physician, Neurology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 2017-2020.
Clinical Fellow, Cognitive Neurology, Penn Memory Center, University of Pennsylvania, 2020-2021.
Intern, Internal Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 2016-2017.
Resident physician, Neurology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, 2017-2020.
Clinical Fellow, Cognitive Neurology, Penn Memory Center, University of Pennsylvania, 2020-2021.
Certifications
American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology - Neurology, 2020.
United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties, Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychiatry, 2022.
Permanent linkAmerican Board of Psychiatry and Neurology - Neurology, 2020.
United Council for Neurologic Subspecialties, Behavioral Neurology and Neuropsychiatry, 2022.
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
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.
Bennett AV, O'Brien K, Moreno M, Lanigan K, Maslow K, Malone CA, Hanson LC, Zimmerman S, Karlawish J, Largent EA, Aranda MP, Hinton L, Nicholson BP, Phillips L, Fazio S, Epstein-Lubow G.: Development of a Lived Experience Panel to inform the design of embedded pragmatic trials of dementia care interventions. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 72(1): 139-148, Oct 2023.
O'Brien K, Feng R, Sieber F, Marcantonio ER, Tierney A, Magaziner J, Carson JL, Dillane D, Sessler DI, Menio D, Ayad S, Stone T, Papp S, Schwenk ES, Marshall M, Jaffe JD, Luke C, Sharma B, Azim S, Hymes R, Chin KJ, Sheppard R, Perlman B, Sappenfield J, Hauck E, Hoeft MA, Karlawish J, Mehta S, Donegan DJ, Horan A, Ellenberg SS, Neuman MD: Outcomes with spinal versus general anesthesia for patients with and without preoperative cognitive impairment: Secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial. Alzheimer's & Dementia 19(9): 4008-4019, Sep 2023.
Kyra O’Brien MD, Justin Clapp PhD MPH, Shana D. Stites PsyD MS MA, Kristin Harkins MPH, Cameron Coykendall, Melanie Kleid, Jason Karlawish MD, Emily Largent JD PhD RN : Improving hospitalizations and care transitions for people living with dementia: Lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic Poster session presented at the 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting of the American Geriatrics Society May 2023.