Boston University Collaborators
Assistant Professor of Neurology
Dr. Alosco completed his undergraduate studies at Providence College and he earned his doctoral degree in clinical psychology, with a focus in neuropsychology, in 2015 from Kent State University. He completed his clinical internship in neuropsychology at the VA Boston Healthcare System. In 2015, Dr. Alosco was awarded a post-doctoral fellowship at the Boston University (BU) Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) Center (ADC) and BU CTE Center through the NIA-funded Alzheimer’s Disease Translational Research Training Program (T32AG036697). In 2016, Dr. Alosco transitioned to a National Research Service Award (NRSA) F32 from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to continue his advanced clinical research training at the BU ADC and BU CTE Center. In 2018, he became an Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine.
Professor, Department of Neurology
Dr. Rhoda Au completed her undergraduate degree at Pomona College in California . She earned her PhD from the University of California, Riverside, as well as an MBA from Boston University in 1995. She joined the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine’s Department of Neurology in 1986 as a Research Instructor, and she is currently a Professor in the Department of Neurology. Dr. Au’s research interests are focused on aging and dementia, and include relating cardiovascular risk factors, brain MRI measures, and neuropathology to cognitive performance. She is also interested in merging research and technology as the path toward innovative science.
Dr. Andrew E. Budson is a Professor of Neurology at BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Associate Director for Research at the BU Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Lecturer in Neurology at Harvard Medical School, and Consultant Neurologist at the Division of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology, Department of Neurology, at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Dr. Budson has had continual NIH funding since 1998, and continues to see patients while teaching at his memory disorders clinic at VA Boston. He is board certified in Neurology.
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Contact Andrew at: abudson@bu.edu
Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery at BUSM. Chairman Department of Surgery, Chief Neurosurgery Service, Director Service Sports Medicine at Emerson Hospital
Robert C. Cantu Dr, Cantu is the Medical Director and Director of Clinical Research for the Dr. Robert C. Cantu Concussion Center, Chief of Neurosurgery Service, Associate Chairman Department of Surgery, and Director of Sports Medicine at Emerson Hospital in Concord, Massachusetts. He is a founder of the Center for the study of Traumatic Encephalopathy at Boston University Medical School where he is also a Clinical Professor of Neurology and Neurosurgery. He currently serves as Senior Advisor to the NFL Head, Neck and Spine Committee; Section Co-Chair Mackey-White National Football League Players Association Health and Safety Committee; -Founder and Medical Director Sports Legacy Institute; Member World Rugby Concussion Advisory Group; Adjunct Professor Exercise and Sport Science and Medical Director National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC; Co-Director, Neurologic Sports Injury Center, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Senior Advisor Brain Injury Center and Adjunct Staff, Children’s Hospital, Boston, Vice President Chair Scientific Advisory Committee National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment (NOCSAE). He also consults with numerous NFL, NHL and NBA teams. He also is a professional consultant to the USA Rugby Medical & Risk Committee sub-committee for Sports Concussion. He has published over 400 scientific articles including 33 books on Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Sports Medicine.
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Professor of Medicine, Neurology, Ophthalmology, Genetics & Genomics, Epidemiology, & Biostatistics. Chief, Genetics Program
Dr. Farrer is a graduate of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, received his Ph.D. from the Indiana University School of Medicine, and gained additional training in genetic epidemiology at Yale University. He holds adjunct faculty positions at Harvard Medical School, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Veterans Administration Medical Center in Bedford, Massachusetts. He is a Founding Fellow of the American College of Medical Genetics. Dr. Farrer teaches several courses in human genetics and genetic epidemiology at Boston University, directs Boston University’s Molecular Genetics Core Facility which offers DNA genotyping and sequencing services to investigators at the Boston Medical Center, and provides genetic counseling and testing to patients with a variety of inherited conditions.
Associate Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology, Ophthalmology, Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, & Biomedical Engineering
Dr. Lee Goldstein received a bachelor’s degree in humanities and biology from Columbia University and went on to complete his medical and doctoral training at Yale University. Dr. Goldstein completed an internal medicine internship and residency program in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. He was previously an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, as well as the Director of the Molecular Aging & Development Laboratory and Center for Biometals & Metallomics at the Brigham & Women’s Hospital, Boston. Dr. Goldstein joined the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, College of Engineering, Photonics Center, and the BU ADC in December 2007.
Contact Lee at: Lgold@bu.edu
Associate Professor, Anatomy & Neurobiology
Dr. Killiany received his master’s degree in psychology from the University of Hartford and completed doctoral training in psychology at Northeastern University. He completed postdoctoral fellowship training in neuroanatomy, neurobiology, and neuropsychology at the Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and joined its faculty in 2001. In addition to his appointments at BUSM, Dr. Killiany currently teaches psychology at Northeastern University and is a Research Associate of Radiology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School and Research Associate of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School.
Contact Ron at: killiany@bu.edu
Dr. Neil W. Kowall was born in Calgary, Canada and graduated with his MD from the University of British Columbia in 1979. He moved to Boston for postgraduate training in Internal Medicine at the Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital followed by a Neurology residency at Massachusetts General Hospital. After finishing his clinical training, he completed a postdoctoral research fellowship and was appointed Assistant Professor of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. He moved to the VA and Boston University in 1992 where he is currently Professor of Neurology and Pathology, Chief of Neurology at VA Boston Healthcare System, Director of the VA New England Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center and Director of the NIH-funded Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. His major research interests are human neuroanatomy and neuropathology and the use of animal models to test novel therapies for neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease.
Dr. Michael McClean is an Associate Professor and the Director of Doctoral Training in the Department of Environmental Health at the BU School of Public Health. Dr. McClean oversees the Exposure Biology Research Laboratory and his research interests focus on the use of biological markers to assess environmental and occupational exposures with respect to exposure-related disease. Trained as an industrial hygienist, he is interested in improving upon traditional exposure assessment methods.
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Contact Michael at: mmcclean@bu.edu
Professor of Neurology & Pathology, Director, Neuropathology Core
Dr. McKee completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Wisconsin and received her medical degree from the Case Western Reserve School of Medicine. She completed residency training in neurology at Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital and fellowship training in neuropathology at Massachusetts General Hospital. She was Assistant Professor of Neuropathology at Harvard Medical School from 1991-94, when she became Associate Professor of Neurology and Pathology at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. In 2011, she was promoted to Professor of Neurology and Pathology. Dr. McKee directs the Neuropathology Service for the New England Veterans Administration Medical Centers (VISN-1) and the Brain Banks for the Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center, Framingham Heart Study, and Centenarian Study, which are all based at the Bedford VAMC. Dr. McKee is also the Chief Neuropathologist for the National VA ALS Brain Bank.
Assistant Professor of Neurology, BU ADRC Clinical Core Associate Director
Dr. Mez completed his undergraduate studies at Cornell University and earned his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He completed residency training in Neurology at Massachusetts General and Brigham and Women’s Hospitals. He completed a clinical fellowship in Aging and Dementia and a research fellowship in Neuroepidemiology at Columbia University. During fellowship training, he also earned a Masters in Biostatistics with a focus on Statistical Genetics from the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia. In 2013, he became an Assistant Professor of Neurology at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine.
Co-Founder and CEO, Concussion Legacy Foundation
Chris Nowinski is the founding executive director of the Sports Legacy Institute (SLI), a non-profit organization dedicated to solving the sports concussion crisis through education, advocacy, and research, and the co-founder and CEO of the Concussion Legacy Foundation (CLF). An All-Ivy Harvard football player-turned WWE professional wrestler-turned neuroscientist, Chris discovered the concussion crisis the hard way. A 2003 kick to the chin in a WWE match ended his career, causing Post-Concussion Syndrome and sending him to the office of his eventual CLF co-founder Dr. Robert Cantu. Through Dr. Cantu, Chris was first exposed to medical research that revealed to him that concussions and brain trauma were misunderstood in the sports world. He is the author of the book Head Games, as well as 18 medical journal articles.
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Contact Chris at: Nowinski@ConcussionFoundation.org
Associate Professor of Neurology. Director, Residency Program
Bio Coming Soon...
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Wendy Qiu is an Associate Professor in the Psychiatry Department, Pharmacology & Experimental Therapeutics Department, Alzheimer’s disease Center (ADC) at Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine. She is also a faculty member in the Neuroscience Program at Boston University. She is a Board Certified Psychiatrist who was trained at Tufts Medical Center and at the Payne Whitney Clinic, New York Presbyterian Hospital, Cornell Medical Center.
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Contact Wendy at: wqiu67@bu.edu
Dr. Schon received her Ph.D. in Psychology at the BU Dept. of Psychological and Brain Sciences. She is a cognitive neuroscientist and an expert in functional neuroimaging studies of human memory. She is an Assistant Professor of Anatomy and Neurobiology and director of the Brain Plasticity and Neuroimaging Laboratory at BUMC. Currently, her research focuses on exercise and the brain in aging.
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Contact Karin at: kschon@bu.edu
Dr. Stein’s research interests involve the study of neurodegenerative diseases, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), Alzheimer disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). He studies the role of trauma in the abnormal accumulation of beta-amyloid and tau and in the acceleration of neurodegenerative disease. He is an acting neuropathologist involved with the brain banks for the Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease and CTE Center, Framingham Heart Study, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) National ALS Biorepository, as well as the National Veterans Administration ALS, Gulf War, and PTSD brain banks.
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Contact Dr. Stein at: tdstein@bu.edu
Yorghos Tripodis, Ph.D., Co-Investigator, is Assistant Professor of Biostatistics at Boston University School of Public Health. He has years of research experience in correlated data analysis including applications in clinical trials, observational studies and time series. He serves as the biostatistician for the BU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. He is also the biostatistician for the UNITE (Understanding Neurological Injury and Traumatic Encephalopathy) bio bank.
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Contact Yorghos at: yorghos@bu.edu
Clinical Core Investigator, ADRC Clinical Core
Dr. Elizabeth Vassey completed her Pre-doctoral Clinical Fellowship with a specialty in Clinical Neuropsychology at The Memory Clinic (Clinical Neurosciences Research Associates) as the primary placement of the Southwestern Vermont Psychology Consortium. She also pursued postdoctoral training in Forensic Neuropsychology specializing in traumatic brain injury, Alzheimer’s disease, and other causes of memory disorders. She completed her Postdoctoral Fellowship in Clinical Neuropsychology from the Department of Neurology at the BU ADC under the supervision of Dr. Robert Stern and joined its faculty in 2014. In addition to her appointment at the BU ADRC, Dr. Vassey is the Associate Director of the Boston Center for Memory (BCM), a multi-specialty diagnostic and treatment center for patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. At BCM, Dr. Vassey is responsible for providing clinical evaluations and follow-up clinical care as well as managing and coordinating the clinical and research administrative operations of the center.
Contact Elisabeth at: evassey@bu.edu