Frontiers of BrainHealth

We have made great strides in understanding the biology of Alzheimer’s Disease and learning how to detect and even treat it at the earliest stages when we expect treatment to be most effective. Dr. Mary Sano, PhD, professor of psychiatry and the director of the Alzheimer's disease research at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, provides an update on the progress of treating and preventing Alzheimer’s dementia. 

Understanding the Importance of Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease and Supporting Brain Health

Headshot of Andrew Eagle, PhD, in a lab setting.

Drug-associated memories can be a major driver of relapse in addiction. UTD neuroscience professor Dr. Andrew Eagle focuses on researching how the brain encodes and retrieves drug-cue memories that promote maladaptive behavior. He presents preliminary findings demonstrating that the entorhinal cortex (EC) plays a critical role in this process and explores the broader research goal of defining the neural mechanisms by which memory shapes motivation in addiction.

An Entorhinal Cortex Circuit in Cocaine Memories

Dr. Wig of UTD's Center for Vital Longevity describes how his lab uses network science to examine how these connections change across the adult lifespan, showing that alterations in brain network organization can predict future Alzheimer’s disease dementia beyond traditional biomarkers. 

It’s All About Your Connections: Rethinking Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease Through Brain Networks

NEW DATE: Computational psychiatry is reshaping our understanding of mental illness by integrating data-driven modeling with neurobiological insights. Andrew Michael, PhD, of Duke University examines the evolving role of brain imaging and AI in computational psychiatry, emphasizing their transformative promise, pitfalls, and path forward. 

NEW DATE: From Data to Diagnosis: Computational Psychiatry and Brain Imaging in the Age of AI

Dr. Angela Shoup

Brain imaging provides an important opportunity for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment monitoring in vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID). In this talk, Dr. Hanzhang Lu discusses a potential framework of biomarkers for the classification of vascular cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID), specifically describing cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR), an important physiological parameter of vascular health, as a candidate biomarker in small vessel disease related VCID.

MRI Biomarkers for Vascular Cognitive Impairment and Dementia

Sandi Chapman, PhD, and Adam J. Woods, PhD, pictured at a BrainHealth Week event.

In partnership with UT Dallas' School of Brain and Behavioral Sciences, Center for BrainHealth's 2026 Science Summit, Breakthroughs in Precision Brain Health, is a BrainHealth Week lunchtime event that is also part of our popular Frontiers of BrainHealth lecture series.

Science Summit: Breakthroughs in Precision Brain Health

Dr. Sandi Chapman asks a question during a live Frontiers of BrainHealth talk inside Center for BrainHealth's Brain Performance Institute.

Headshot of Puja K. Parekh, PhD, neuroscience professor from UT Dallas.

UTD neuroscience professor Puja K. Parekh, PhD, highlights recent work into how the brain processes information to inform goal-directed actions, decision-making and task disengagement, combining behavioral measurements with in vivo neurophysiological recordings to identify circuit mechanisms of effortful motivation and the effects of stress. The goal of these studies is to identify mechanisms to enhance therapeutic development for stress-related disorders.

Neural Substrates Underlying Effortful Behavior in Animal Models

Headshot of Dr. Hamed Ekhtiari in a bright, sunlit medical waiting area.

Addiction remains a leading cause of preventable morbidity and mortality worldwide. In this talk, UT Southwestern's Hamed Ekhtiari, MD, PhD, builds on two decades of human neuroimaging, neuromodulation trials and biomarker development to review the scientific rationale for mechanism-informed brain stimulation approaches in addiction treatment. 

Precision Neuromodulation for Addiction Treatment: Hopes and Challenges 

Photograph of neuroscientist Eti Ben Simon, PhD. in a lush outdoor setting

NEW DATE: Research from Eti Ben Simon, PhD, associate director of Center for BrainHealth's Sleep Innovation Laboratories, suggests that even modest sleep loss can erode social connections, hamper altruistic behavior, and heighten subjective anxiety, revealing the transformative impact of insufficient sleep on healthy adults.

Sleepless and Alone: The Impact of Sleep Loss on Human Social Behavior

Headshot of Ryan Boyd, PhD against a serene blue and white background.

Ryan Boyd PhD, UTD headshot, Frontiers 2026 speaker

UT Dallas Assistant Professor of Psychology Ryan Boyd, PhD, explores how everyday language — from tiny words like "the" and "me" to themes, narratives and expressions of self-belief — maps where attention is pointing. Highlighting recent studies, he shares how research into how communities adapt during turbulent periods and how shifts in language can foreshadow changes in well-being and mental health.

The Words That Shape Our Worlds

Composite image of researchers Byron Johnson, PhD, and Matthew Lee, PhD.

Headshot of Byron Johnson, PhD, in a library setting.

Our 2026 Frontiers season opens with Byron Johnson, PhD, and Matthew Lee, PhD, from Baylor University's Institute for Studies of Religion, delivering key insights from "The Global Flourishing Study" including analysis of sociodemographic patterns and predictors of flourishing across 20+ culturally and geographically diverse countries.

Wisdom About the Good Life from the Global Flourishing Study

Brain Performance Institute building at dusk, exterior photo

A Frontiers of BrainHealth talk takes place in Center for BrainHealth's Brain Performance Institute.

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Topic: Auditory Research and Brain Health

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