Amy Abramowitz, M.D.
Geriatric Psychiatrist
Alzheimer’s Disease
Dementia Care
Geriatric psychiatrist specializing in taking care of older adults with mental health and neurocognitive disorders.
ADRC Affiliated Researchers
Leah Acker M.D, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor in Anesthesiology
Cognition
Neurodegeneration
Neuropharmacology
Allison Aiello, Ph.D.
Professor and Social Epidemiology Program Leader
Epidemiology & Population Health
Research interests include: prevention of infectious diseases in the community setting; life course, infection, and chronic disease; genomics, aging, and immunity.
Adrienne Aiken Morgan, Ph.D.
My professional and research interests lie at the intersection of four broad areas of inquiry: sociocultural experience (e.g., race & ethnicity, education), cognition, aging, and health.
Alison Axtman, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor
Alzheimer’s Disease
Cell Biology – Immunology
Cell Biology – Neurodegeneration
Cellular Pathology
Dr. Axtman’s research focuses on the synthesis of small molecules that selectively modulate proteins implicated in disease-propagating pathways. She works at the interface of chemistry and biology. She is funded to develop reagents to validate novel therapeutic hypotheses related to AD.
Alexandra Badea Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Alzheimer’s Disease
Biomarkers
Neuroimaging
Current Research interests: Alzheimer’s Disease, Brain Imaging, MRI, Connectivity, Multivariate Biomarkers, Image Analysis, Neurological Conditions.
Cristian Badea, Ph.D.
Biomarkers
Spectral CT, Cardiac CT, Image Reconstruction, Deep Learning, Nanoparticles, Theranostics, Co-Clinical cancer trials, Small Animal Imaging
Ben A. Bahr, Ph.D.
Distinguished Professor of Molecular Biology & Biochemistry
Alzheimer’s Disease
Cell Biology – Neurodegeneration
Neurodegeneration
Bahr’s team focuses on synaptic vulnerability that contributes to AD risk factors, to improve understanding of the synaptopathy initiated by seizure- and stroke-type excitotoxicity, TBI, and blast exposures – all suspected of elevating the risk of dementia later in life.
Luke Bartelt
Graduate Student
Animal Models
Cell Biology – Neurodegeneration
Neurodegeneration
Interested in understanding molecular mechanisms of Neurodegeneration through genetic mouse models and single-cell genomic technologies. Working to identify cell-type specific gene regulatory pathways driving neurodegeneration for next-generation gene therapy approaches.
Rashmita Basu, PhD
Assistant Professor
Epidemiology & Population Health
REC Scholar Project: Improving Health and Well-being of People with Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias and their Family Caregivers in Eastern North Carolina
John Batsis, M.D.
Associate Professor
Clinical Aging Research
Clinical Trials
Dementia Care
Epidemiology & Population Health
Clinical: Geriatric Medicine, Obesity, Health Promotion, Frailty
Research: Obesity and Physical Function in Older Adults; Using technology (telemedicine, remote monitoring) to enhance health in older adults
Keisha Leanne Bentley-Edwards, M.A., Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Care Givers & Community Support
Epidemiology & Population Health
My work specifically examines how race, culture and racism stress influence how the world responds to Black Americans and how this influences health and social disparities. I develop culturally cognizant measures, specifically in the areas of racial/ethnic socialization, racial cohesion and dissonance and same-race violence. As an interdisciplinary researcher, I examine the racial and societal contexts that influence health, coping and well-being in schools, communities and within families.
Miles Berger, MD, PhD
Associate Core Leader
Alzheimer’s Disease
Bioinformatics
Clinical Trials
Cognition
Neurodegeneration
Neuroimaging
Neuroinflammation
Neuropharmacology
Research interests include: Delirium, Postoperative Neurocognitive Disorders, APOE4 biology, Multi-omic studies
Nrupen Bhavsar, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
Bioinformatics
Epidemiology & Population Health
My primary research interests are in the use of novel sources of data, including the EHR, to conduct chronic disease research at the intersection of informatics, biostatistics, and epidemiology. My ongoing work aims to integrate informatics, epidemiology, and biostatistics to reduce the burden of chronic disease.
Charlotte Boettiger, Ph.D.
Professor
Biomarkers
Genetics
Work focuses on improving our understanding of the neurobiology of substance use disorders (SUDs) by identifying and characterizing neurocognitive biomarkers and intermediate phenotypes.
Jan Busby-Whitehead, MD
Core Leader
Alzheimer’s Disease
Dementia Care
Genetics
Dr. Busby-Whitehead is the M. Andrew Greganti Distinguished Professor of Medicine, Chief of the Division of Geriatrics, and Director of the Center for Aging and Health at the UNC School of Medicine. She is also the Co-Lead for the ADRC Research Education Component (REC) Core. She is committed to the preservation and improvement of patient health through research and to funded programs that serve to develop and increase the reach of geriatric education and training of physicians and healthcare professionals in the field of aging.
John Buse, M.D, Ph.D.
Professor
Alzheimer’s Disease
Behavioral Pathology
Clinical Trials
Cognition
The UNC Endocrinology Diabetes Obesity Clinical Research Unit (ENDO CRU) is a leading site for clinical and translational studies of diabetes, obesity and its complications. We are well positioned to help apply diabetes treatments to cognitive disorders and recruit patients with diabetes and obesity to AD translational studies.
Jamie Capal, M.D.
Biomarkers
Clinical Trials
Genetics
Research interests include studying neurodevelopmental disorders across the lifespan, including Down syndrome, Fragile X syndrome, Angelman syndrome, and Tuberous Sclerosis Complex, and the relationship between early neurodevelopmental conditions and later neurodegeneration.
