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.
Alzheimer’s Disease
Research Focus
- Alzheimer’s Disease
- Animal Models
- Artificial Intelligence
- Behavioral Pathology
- Bioinformatics
- Biomarkers
- Care Givers & Community Support
- Cell Biology
- Cellular Pathology
- Clinical Aging Research
- Clinical Trials
- Cognition
- Dementia Care
- Epidemiology & Population Health
- Genetics
- Geriatric Psychiatry
- Nerves & Nervous System
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.
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.
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
Miles Bryan, PhD
Research Associate
Alzheimer’s Disease
Animal Models
Cell Biology – Neurodegeneration
REC Scholar Project: Targeting acetylated tau in Alzheimer’s disease using immunotherapy and CRISPR-screening approaches
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.
Ornit Chiba-Falek, Ph.D.
Alzheimer’s Disease
Neurodegeneration
Our research attempts to better understand the genetic processes underpinning age-related neurodegenerative diseases, in particular Alzheimer’s disease, related dementia, and Lewy body spectrum disorders.
Sandra J. Cobb, PhD, MSN, FNP-C, RN
Neurology Nurse Practitioner & Team Clinician for Study Visits
Alzheimer’s Disease
Care Givers & Community Support
Dementia Care
I take care of patients with neurodegenerative disorders that impair memory and thinking, such as Alzheimer’s disease, Lewy body dementia, and frontotemporal dementia. My goal is to find interventions that work best for maintaining quality of life for patients and caregivers.
Kim G. Johnson, MD
Core Co-Leader
Alzheimer’s Disease
Geriatric Psychiatry
Clinical Core Leader of the Duke & UNC ADRC
Shahzad Khan, Ph.D.
Alzheimer’s Disease
Neurodegeneration
Clinical Interests: Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, Synucleinopathies, Tauopathies
Research Interests: Molecular basis of neurodegeneration; Aging; Signal Transduction
Dayami Lopez, PhD
North Carolina Central University
Alzheimer’s Disease
Cellular Pathology
Professor Lopez is an associate professor in the Biological and Biomedical Sciences Department at North Carolina Central University. Her research interests include regulation of the hepatic LDL receptor and PCSK9 and the role of hypothyroidism in Alzheimer’s disease and breast cancer.
Bernadette O’Donovan, Ph.D., MSc
Alzheimer’s Disease
Neurodegeneration
Member of Chiba-Falek’s lab – electrophysiology, microscopy, behavioral techniques, genetic and pharmacological models, and data analysis
Darina Petrovsky, PhD, RN
Assistant Professor of Nursing, Division of Women, Children, and Families
Alzheimer’s Disease
Care Givers & Community Support
Clinical Trials
Dementia Care
I am funded on a K23 from the NIA and the Alzheimer’s Association to examine the impact of music-based interventions on sleep in persons living with dementia and their caregivers.
Ellen Roberts, PhD, MPH
Associate Core Leader
Alzheimer’s Disease
Dementia Care
Genetics
Dr. Roberts is a program evaluator for multiple programs that serve to develop and increase the reach of geriatric education and training of physicians and healthcare professionals, as well as researchers, in the field of aging.
Heidi Roth, MD
Core Co-Leader
Alzheimer’s Disease
Duke & UNC Clinical Core Leader and Professor of Neurology at UNC
Keats Shwab
Alzheimer’s Disease
Neurodegeneration
Member of the Chiba-Falek Lab – Our research attempts to better understand the genetic processes underpinning age-related neurodegenerative diseases, in particular Alzheimer’s disease, related dementia, and Lewy body spectrum disorders.
