SUMMARY
Dennis W. Dickson, M.D., studies aging and neurodegenerative disorders, with a focus on their neuropathological features. His research includes Parkinson's disease and parkinsonian disorders, such as Lewy body dementia and progressive supranuclear palsy, as well as Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions.
Dr. Dickson studies brain tissue from individuals who participated in prospective and longitudinal research studies, including those sponsored by the National Institute on Aging. He performs detailed neuropathological studies of formalin-fixed tissue, and his team provides well-characterized frozen tissue samples to qualified researchers in the United States and abroad.
Dr. Dickson and his team obtain fixed and frozen brain tissue at autopsy. They use the tissue for diagnostic evaluations and research with methods including histology, immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy, image analysis and immunoassays. Frozen tissue is shared with researchers studying areas such as the genetics and biochemistry of neurological disorders.
Brain tissue for Dr. Dickson's research comes from several sources, including the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, the Einstein Aging Study at Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Florida's Alzheimer's Disease Initiative. Through collaboration with nonprofit organizations such as the Brain Support Network, samples also are obtained from affected individuals throughout the United States. These sources provide tissue from individuals with a range of backgrounds and research participation.
Focus areas
- Genetic studies. Genetic studies are increasingly important in neuropathological research as new genes and genetic risk factors are discovered for Alzheimer's disease and other major neurodegenerative conditions. Dr. Dickson provides well-characterized brain samples for genetic studies in collaboration with researchers at Mayo Clinic and investigators at other institutions.
- Other degenerative diseases. Dr. Dickson also focuses on neurodegenerative diseases other than Alzheimer's disease, including Parkinson's disease and Lewy body dementia. His research of these conditions is supported by the Harry T. Mangurian Jr. Foundation. He also studies neuropathology in transgenic mice that model Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. This research aims to better understand these disorders and help develop new treatments.
- Conditions with tau pathology. Dr. Dickson has studied conditions with tau pathology for more than two decades. He focuses on corticobasal degeneration, progressive supranuclear palsy, Pick's disease and frontotemporal dementia linked to tau mutations. He obtains many samples for these studies through the CurePSP Brain Bank at Mayo Clinic, which he oversees.
- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal degeneration with TDP-43 pathology. Dr. Dickson's neuropathological research also includes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also called Lou Gehrig's disease, and frontotemporal degeneration with TDP-43 pathology.
Significance to patient care
Examinations of donated brain tissue can help people understand the diseases that affect their family members. It also may provide useful information to the healthcare professionals who provided their care. Through his research, Dr. Dickson also aims to learn more about the changes in the brain that contribute to neurodegenerative diseases. His work may lead to improved diagnosis and treatment and, eventually, ways to prevent these conditions.
Professional highlights
- Rainwater Prize for outstanding innovation in neurodegenerative research, Rainwater Charitable Foundation, 2026.
- American Association of Neuropathologists:
- Award for Meritorious Contributions to Neuropathology, 2016.
- President, 2001-2002.
- Potamkin Prize for Research in Pick's, Alzheimer's, and Related Diseases, American Academy of Neurology, 2011.
- Robert E. Jacoby Professor for Alzheimer's Research at Mayo Clinic Jacksonville, Mayo Clinic, 2010.
- Award for Medical Research, Metlife Foundation, 2001.