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BrainHealth Collaborator Dr. Mark D’Esposito Inducted Into the Prestigious American Academy of Arts & Sciences

Recipient Dr. Mark D'Esposito and moderator Dr. Charles Branch at BrainHealth's 2024 Branch Awards.

Center for BrainHealth

Longtime BrainHealth collaborator Dr. Mark D’Esposito was recently inducted into one of this country’s most respected organizations, the American Academy of Arts & Sciences (AAAS). He is one of 250 inductees this year, representing 31 areas of expertise, and joins luminaries such as Jhumpa Lahiri, Tim Cook and George Clooney – joining the ranks of members including Thomas Jefferson, Martin Luther King, Jr., Nelson Mandela, John F. Kennedy, Jr., Oprah Winfrey and Paul McCartney, among others.He serves as Distinguished Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of California, Berkeley and as the Carol Heller BrainHealth Project Co-Leader at Center for BrainHealth – UTD. His research focuses on the neural mechanisms underlying working memory, cognitive control and frontal lobe function utilizing different convergent experimental approaches such as functional MRI, transcranial magnetic stimulation, pharmacological interventions, and behavioral studies of both healthy individuals and those with neurological disorders. Dr. D'Esposito has been the principal investigator on numerous NIH, private foundation and VA-funded grants. He has authored over 500 research publications, which have been cited over 80,000 times, as well as seven books on the topics of behavioral neurology and cognitive neuroscience. He has trained over 80 graduate students and post-doctoral fellows.He has been collaborating with the Center for BrainHealth for the past 20 years. Currently, he provides critical leadership for The BrainHealth Project, a landmark, population scale, longitudinal study setting out to achieve for brain health what has been done for heart health. Launched in 2020, the Project aims to uncover the dynamic relationship between lifestyle factors, biological markers, brain training and cognitive performance to support optimal brain health outcomes across the lifespan. In 2024, Dr. D’Esposito received the Charles L. Branch BrainHealth Award, the Center’s highest science honor conferred upon scientists who have made overwhelming contributions to brain research.“We are honored to have the unparalleled opportunity to work side by side with Dr. D’Esposito, a humble and compassionate neurologist and scientist who is dedicated to rigorous science that can make lives better today. His hope – and ours – is that this prestigious organization would take up brain health as a focus area,” said Sandra Bond Chapman, PhD, chief director of Center for BrainHealth. “Empowering people everywhere to take charge of their brain’s health aligns perfectly with the AAAS’s core tenet of celebrating the life of the mind.”About the AAAS The AAAS was founded in 1780 – by John Adams, John Hancock and others – based on ideals that celebrate the life of the mind, the importance of knowledge, and the belief that the arts and sciences are “necessary to the interest, honor, dignity and happiness of a free, independent and virtuous people.” AAAS was formed to be a gathering of leaders from all disciplines to be a think tank to guide the country as it grows and deals with issues of the time. Members are elected each year, recognized for their excellence and invited to uphold the Academy’s mission of engaging across disciplines and divides. CONTACT Stephanie Hoefken 972.883.3221 stephanie.hoefken@utdallas.eduAbout Center for BrainHealthCenter for BrainHealth®, part of The University of Texas at Dallas, is a translational research institute committed to enhancing, preserving, and restoring brain health across the lifespan. Major research areas include the use of functional and structural neuroimaging techniques to better understand the neurobiology supporting the continual growth of cognition, well-being and social connections in health and disease. This leading-edge scientific exploration is translated quickly into practical innovations to improve how people think, work and live, empowering people of all ages to thrive and unlock their brain potential. Translational innovations leverage: 1) the BrainHealth Index, a proprietary measure that uniquely charts one’s upward (or downward) holistic brain health trajectory whatever their starting level; and 2) Strategic Memory Advanced Reasoning Tactics (SMART™) brain training, a strategy-based toolkit developed and tested by BrainHealth researchers and other teams over three decades.

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Mark D’Esposito, MD

Carol Heller BrainHealth Project Co-Leader

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