John Q. Trojanowski, M.D., Ph.D. is the Director of the Alzheimer's Disease Center of the University of Pennsylvania, and an M.D./Ph.D neuropathologist in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. He is co-Director for the Center for Neurodegenerative Disease Research (CNDR) and Director of the University of Pennsylvania Institute on Aging (IOA). In addition, he co-Directs the Marian S. Ware Alzheimer's Program established in 2004. He is the principal investigator on the Penn Biomarker Core of the NIH/NIA Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), a landmark study launched by the National Institute on Aging to find methods for monitoring the progression of AD and improving methods of imaging, and the validation of biomarker data. Dr. Trojanowski is responsible for the neuropathology cores in several studies in collaboration with Alzheimer's Disease Centers across the nation and Parkinson's disease research projects.

More on Dr. Trojanowski and the Center for Neurodegenerative Research http://www.med.upenn.edu/cndr/

PENN Memory Center Director

Steven E. Arnold, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry and Neurology, is Director of the Penn Memory Center (PMC), Associate Director of the Alzheimer's Disease Center (ADC), and leader of the ADC Clinical Core. He is board certified in both neurology and psychiatry. He received his M.D. from Boston University. He completed residency training in Psychiatry at the New York State Psychiatric Institute / Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center, and residency training in Neurology at the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. He completed fellowship training in Behavioral Neurology / Cognitive Neuroscience, and was a post-doctoral associate in Neuroanatomy in Iowa.

Dr. Arnold is Associate Director of the Institute on Aging and Director of the Cellular and Molecular Neuropathology Program and the Geriatric Psychiatry Section in the Department of Psychiatry. His research focuses on cellular and molecular neuropathology and clinical biomarkers in aging, neurodegenerative diseases, and severe mental illnesses.

Download and read a .pdf of Dr. Arnold's CV

Roy Hamilton, M.D., M.S., is an Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania. He is board certified in neurology. He graduated from Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts Institute of Technology with degrees in Medicine and Health Sciences Technology. He completed residency in Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania.

His research interest is in the characteristics and limits of functional plasticity in the adult human brain; how the brain reorganizes itself in response to injury, and whether it is possible to enhance the brain's potential for reorganization in order to speed rehabilitation. Dr. Hamilton's studies use a technology known as transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) to examine and manipulate the functional anatomy and connectivity of the brain in both healthy and injured states. He has a special interest in patients who may be suffering from a condition known as normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), and he evaluates these patients as part of a coordinated effort between the Penn Memory Center and the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Hamilton is also director of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine Pipeline Program, a multi-tiered neuroscience education program for inner-city high school students in Philadelphia.

Download and read a .pdf of Dr. Hamilton's CV

Steven F. Huege, M.D. is an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He is board certified in adult and geriatric psychiatry. He received his undergraduate degree from Duke University, and medical degree from the University of Texas- Southwestern Medical School. He completed a psychiatric residency at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital and a fellowship in geriatric psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. He is a Fellow with the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry (AAGP). He serves as associate program director for Penn’s geriatric psychiatry fellowship program.

Dr. Huege specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of older adults with chronic and new-onset mental illness; Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, and mood and psychotic disorders in the elderly. He also conducts dynamically oriented psychotherapy with adult and geriatric patients. At the Philadelphia Veterans Administration Medical Center, he consults in the Community Living Center, and evaluates and treats patients in the geriatric medicine clinic. At Penn, Dr. Huege also works in investigational drug trials to evaluate novel treatments for dementia, with special emphasis on biomarkers and natural/herbal compounds.

Download and read a copy of Dr. Huege's CV

Jason Karlawish, M.D. is an Associate Professor of Medicine, a Senior Fellow of the Center for Bioethics and of the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics, and a fellow of the Institute on Aging at the University of Pennsylvania. He is board-certified in internal medicine and geriatric medicine. He is the Associate Director of and a practicing clinician in the Penn Memory Center. He is also Director of the Alzheimer's Disease Center's Education and Information Transfer Core.

Dr. Karlawish' s research focuses on ethical issues in human subjects research, and the care of persons with dementia. He has investigated issues in dementia drug development, informed consent, quality of life, research and treatment decision making, and voting by persons with dementia.

Download and read a copy of Dr. Karlawish's CV

Selam Negash, Ph.D. joined the Penn Memory Center in May 2009. She earned her Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Georgetown University, and completed her postdoctoral training at Mayo Clinic Rochester, with Dr. Ron Petersen at the Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. She is currently a Scholar in the Center for Translational Science Activities (CTSA) KL2 Program. Her research areas include successful aging, mild cognitive impairment, and implicit and explicit learning systems in healthy aging.

Download and read a copy of Dr. Negash's CV

Jorge A. Rivera-Colón, M.D. is an assistant clinical instructor of psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He is board certified for the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology. He received his undergraduate degree from the Universidad de Puerto Rico and medical degree from the Universidad Central de Caribe, in Puerto Rico. He completed a residency in Psychiatry at Albert Einstein Medical Center in Philadelphia and a fellowship in Psychosomatic Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Psychosomatic Medicine emphasizes in diagnosis and treatment the influence of psychological and emotional conditions in relation to the physical factors. It is a recognized psychiatric sub-specialty of the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology.

Dr. Rivera specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of adults with new-onset mental illness, psychiatric issues of chronic disease, and Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. He consults at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. He is fluent in Spanish and English.

Download and read a copy of Dr. Rivera's CV

David Wolk, M.D. is an Assistant Professor of Neurology in the Cognitive Neurology Division. He is board-certified in Neurology. He completed his medical training at Johns Hopkins University, a Neurology Residency at the University of Pennsylvania, and Clinical Fellowship training in Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School. He completed a post-doctoral research fellowship studying memory in Alzheimer’s Disease at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard University. Prior to his return to Penn, he was an Assistant Professor at the University of Pittsburgh and their Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.

Dr. Wolk’s research has focused on memory measures and other markers that allow for early detection of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). One of the major challenges in the diagnosis of very early Alzheimer’s disease is differentiating the memory failures associated with the normal aging process from that reflecting early AD pathology. As such, his research currently focuses on memory changes in healthy aging, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and AD using Event-Related Potentials (a form of EEG), MRI (including structural and functional measures), and novel psychometric testing. It is hoped that these methods will contribute to early detection and intervention with emerging treatment modalities.

Download and read a copy of Dr. Wolk's CV

Marianne Watson, R.N., Research Nurse Specialist, has been with the Penn Memory Center since 1995. Marianne conducts preliminary evaluations and assessments of patients, and handles a wide range of potential patient screening, research recruitment, retention, and patient and family support by telephone. She has extensive clinical experience with the dynamics of the mature patient and their family. She also manages our Normal Control cohort, our Resource Center, our brain donation efforts, the biological samples freezer, and various clinical studies.

Marianne's commitment to research extends beyond her professional role at the PMC. She is a long-time participant in the Nurses Health Study II, the size duration and scope of which is unmatched in the history of women's health research.

Paul J. Moberg, Ph.D., A.B.P.P., is an Associate Professor of Neuropsychology in the Departments of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Otorhinolaryngology: Head & Neck Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. He is the Director of Clinical Services for the Brain-Behavior Laboratory (BBL) in the Neuropsychiatry program and is the Co-Director of the Olfaction and Gustation Laboratory in the BBL. Dr. Moberg also serves as the consulting faculty neuropsychologist for the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center (ADRC) at Penn as well as the Parkinson's Disease Research, Education and Clinical Center (PADRECC) at the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

He earned his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology/ Neuropsychology from the University of Health Sciences/The Chicago Medical School and completed an internship and postdoctoral fellowship in clinical neuropsychology at the University of Florida. Dr. Moberg is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association (APA), Division 40 (Clinical Neuropsychology) of APA, the Pennsylvania Psychological Association (PPA), and the National Academy of Neuropsychology (NAN). He is board certified in Clinical Neuropsychology by the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP).

RETIRED FROM PRACTICE

Christopher M. Clark, M.D., a board certified neurologist, remains at Penn in the capacity of Associate Professor of Neurology, and director of the Center of Excellence for Research on Neurodegenerative Diseases (CERND). He retired from clinical practice, and as Director of the PENN Memory Center in January, 2008. He is a Fellow of the University of Pennsylvania's Institute on Aging and has been a faculty member since 1989. Dr. Clark has spent most of his career studying Alzheimer's disease. He is the current Principal Investigator of a National Institute of Aging grant, and an investigator for numerous other studies including the landmark Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI). His research interests focus on Alzheimer's disease and the development of diagnostically specific markers, identification and evaluation of new treatments, the development of new instruments to measure rates of change, and studies of the relationship between Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease.

Download and read a .pdf of Dr. Clark's CV (28 pages)

Melissa G. Livney, Psy.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist who initially joined the Penn Memory Center and the Section of Geriatric Psychiatry in 2007 as a postdoctoral researcher. She received her doctorate in clinical psychology from the Graduate School of Applied and Professional Psychology at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. She completed her predoctoral internship at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx, NY. Her training at al levels emphasized work with older adults. She provides individual psychotherapy to older adults with depression, anxiety, and/or issues related to transitions later life transitions such as retirement, physical difficulties, memory loss, and grief. She also leads a psychoeducational group for caregivers of family members with dementia at the Penn Memory Center.

Download and read a .pdf of Dr. Livney's CV (4 pages)

Paige Brookstein joined the Penn Memory Center in June 2007. She has coordinated ethics, decision-making, and quality of life studies. She has a BA in psychology from Muhlenberg College and in Spring ’11, she will have a M.S.Ed. in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Pennsylvania. Paige now coordinates the bapinuzamab and the GE005 clinical trials. In addition, Paige is a graduate intern for Dr. Livney, providing psychotherapy services.

Jen Bronstein joined Dr. Karlawish's research team in October 2009. She graduated from the University of Michigan with a B.S. in Biopsychology. Jen works on the "Quality of Life and Aging" study. Jen hopes to attend medical school in the near future.

Martha Combs joined the Penn Memory Center in March 2010 after working at Sanofi Aventis as a Clinical Project Assistant and in Media, PA, as a Clinical Research Coordinator conducting psychiatric studies. She has her BS from Boston College and her MS from RPI, Hartford Graduate Center. Martha works on the LFAN and GE005 studies.

Shane Goda joined the Penn Memory Center in 2010 as a research coordinator for both Dr. Karlawish’s and Dr. Arnold’s research teams. Shane is a 2010 graduate of the University of Pennsylvania with a BA in psychology and plans to attend medical school in the near future

Felicia Greenfield, MSW, LSW, is Associate Director for Operations at the Penn Memory Center. Felicia provides administrative leadership to support a broad range of clinical and research activities for the PMC, including designing and overseeing the research infrastructure, development and growth of our research portfolio, and staff and program development. Felicia holds a Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania, with a concentration in macro social work.

Kristin Harkins joined Dr. Karlawish's research team in June 2007. She graduated from Truman State University with a major in psychology and a minor in statistical methods. Kristin works on the Risk Evaluation and Education for Alzheimer’s Disease (REVEAL) study and the Home Based Assessment/Health Brain Monitoring study.

Ashley Kraybill joined Dr. Karlawish's team in February 2011. She graduated from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA, with a major in Psychology and minors in Sociology and Intercultural Studies. Ashley works on the "Quality of Life and Aging" study.

Lauren Mancuso joined the Penn Memory Center in September 2009 as a Research Assistant for Dr. David Wolk. She has a BA in Cognitive Neuroscience from the University of Pennsylvania and previously worked as a Research Assistant within the CCN. Lauren works on the tDCS study, which examines effects of tDCS on memory encoding and retrieval, and the EMMI study, which uses ERP, MRI, and behavioral data to evaluate cognitive changes associated with Mild Cognitive Impairment and Alzheimer’s disease.

Patricia Martinez, Research Coordinator, joined the Penn Memory Center in 2006. She manages the PLAZA diagnostic study, and administers cognitive screenings for Latino's at Compehensive Health Center in Philadelphia's Latino community. Patricia earned a BA from Arcadia University as a Business Administration major, and French minor.

Ivy Mesa started off at the Penn Memory Center as part of our front office team. She now handles scheduling for Latino study participants.

Jessica Nunez, Research Coordinator, has been with the Penn Memory Center since 1995. Jessica manages clinic flow for Latino patients and administers psychometric testing. She serves as a screener at Maria de los Santos Health Center in Philadelphia's Latino Community. She managed the ADNI and TTP studies and supports the Elan and IVIG studies.

Leonel Oliveros-Rosen joined the Penn Memory Center in June 2010 as the Clinical Flow Coordinator. He assists patients and their families through the various aspects of research and clinic visits, as well as the informed consent process. He graduated from Haverford College with a BA in Philosophy and hopes to attend medical school in the near future. Leo is also bilingual in Spanish and English.

Liz Sullo joined Dr. Karlawish's team in October 2008. She graduated from the University of Delaware with a BA in Psychology and Political Science. Liz works on the "Quality of Life and Aging" study and the "Parkinson's Disease and Research Consent" study.

Peter Janis joined the Penn Memory Center in June, 2007 as a psychometrician, following an undergraduate internship here. He administers cognitive screening and testing to partients and other research participants, and assists in coordination of the CERND study. He received a B.S. in psychology from Philadelphia University of the Sciences in 2007, and is pursuing a M.S. in health psychology, concentrating in neuropsychology.

Hannah McCoubrey has been as psychometrician at the Penn Memory Center since 2004. She administers cognitive testing to patients and other research participants. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania, majoring in History and Philosophy.

Mirna Negrón, Program Social Worker, earned a BA in social work from La Salle University, and MA in counseling from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico. She joined our staff in 2000. Mirna provides social work support for patients and families, and has assisted social work staff and other staff at AD research sites in Puerto Rico and Mexico in their efforts to increase the frequency of brain donation for autopsy in their locales.

Faye Barlis Silag joined Dr. Jason Karlawish's team as administrative coordinator in September 2008. Faye earned a BA degree in Economics from the University of California, Irvine. She assists Dr. Karlawish and Carol Edwards on activities Education and Information Transfer Core, as well as the Penn Memory Center website.

Carol Edwards brings twenty five years of consulting experience in crafting effective communications strategies for healthcare and education professionals, and issue campaigns, to the Penn Memory Center. She holds a BS in Organizational Psychology from American University and an MA from George Washington University. She writes and designs "inSight," the Penn Memory Center/Alzheimer's Disease Center newsletter and other program materials and creates education and development efforts in video and other media.

In partnership with long-time colleague in film production Glenn Orkin of Motion, Inc., Carol co-produced, co-wrote, co-edited, and is the executive producer of the arresting and poignant Emmy-winning documentary, "Alzheimer's Disease: Facing the Facts" which began airing on PBS affiliates nationwide in 2009.

Contact carol.edwards@uphs.upenn.edu

Kathryn Jedrziewski, PhD, Deputy Director of the Institute on Aging (IOA) also serves as Alzheimer's Disease Core Center (ADCC) Administrator. In addition to her IOA duties, she is active in the Penn Alzheimer's Disease Center, and in a network of fellow administrators across the nation, on issues relating to the administration of NIH/NIA funds. Dr. Jedrziewski received her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania in 1991 and has worked in gerontology and geriatrics for the past twenty-five years. She has served as Deputy Director of Penn's Institute on Aging (IOA) since 2001.

Allison Embert graduated from Fordham University with B.S. in Psychology and is currently working towards applying to a PhD program for Clinical Psychology. She handles medical record organization and upkeep, clinic visit scheduling, insurance precertification, and general caller information. She also provide administrative support for clinical staff.

Barbara Sharpe-Latham, our Front Office Manager, has been with the ADC and PMC since 1998. Barbara oversees medical record management, clinic visit scheduling, and general caller information, and supervises office support staff. She is enrolled at the Community College of Philadelphia in coursework toward a degree in nursing.

Young Baek is Data Manager for our ADC and PMC operations. In this capacity he also manages our database. He is a 2003 graduate of the Rochester Institute of Technology, with a BS in information technology. Young worked in IT at Gap International, a Philadelphia-based consulting firm, before joining us in March 2005.

Teyonna Pridgen joined our staff in June 2007. She handles data entry related to our center's participation in the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center (NACC) data program.

Stephanie Yuen, IT Support, graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a major in Information Technology and a minor in Engineering. She joined the ADC/PMC IT team in February 2007.

Sharon Xie, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Biostatistics in the Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania. For her research interest, please visit here.