Neurology Program

The overarching goal of the Neurology Program is to improve scientific understanding of the mechanisms underlying brain aging and pathological changes that increase the risk of age-related cognitive decline and neurodegenerative conditions. These conditions include Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and related dementias.

Key steps to achieve our goal:

• Experimentally interrogate critical preclinical and clinical research questions using new and well-established methods, with an ultimate goal of advancing translational neurology.
• Train the next generation of investigators committed to research in age-related brain and pathological changes.
• Collaborate with other programs in the Kogod Center on Aging on cross-cutting themes.
• Foster collaborations between the Kogod Center on Aging and the Department of Neurology, the Department of Neuroscience and the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Mayo Clinic.
• Seek new funding opportunities to bring resources to the center to work on new scientific directions within the Neurology Program.

Focus areas

• Cellular and molecular mechanisms driving region-specific brain dysfunction.
• Senescence mechanisms driving cognitive decline and neurodegeneration.
• Cell type and cell fate identity and heterogeneity in brain aging and neurodegenerative conditions.
• White versus gray matter changes with aging.
• Imaging biomarkers for brain aging.
• Circulating factors linked to brain aging.
• Resilience mechanisms in brain aging and neurodegeneration.
• Remote digital cognitive assessments in the aging population.
• Brain aging and impact on gait and balance.
• Genetic heterogeneity and brain aging.
• Vascular dysfunction pathways in brain aging.
• Pathways to exceptional aging.