Dr. Petersen is known for his work in identifying the earliest known changes that predict the onset of Alzheimer's disease — research that will one day hopefully allow physicians to treat brain changes before symptoms of dementia appear. His current research focuses on the study of normal aging, mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease. In the course of his career, he has authored more than 250 peer-reviewed articles and has served on numerous advisory boards for the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and the National Institutes of Health, including the Board of Scientific Counselors of the National Institute on Aging. He has been honored with the inaugural Ronald and Nancy Reagan Research Institute Award from the Alzheimer's Association; the MetLife Award for Medical Research in Alzheimer's Disease; the Potamkin Prize; and the inaugural Leon Thal Prize of the Lou Ruvo Brain Institute.

Dr. Nixon's research interest is in regulation of protein structure and function by proteolysis and phosphorylation, cell and molecular biology of the neuronal cytoskeleton, molecular mechanisms of brain aging and cell death, and pathogenesis and treatment of Alzheimer's disease. His work led to the recent discovery of how mutation in the presenilin 1 gene causes early-onset Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Nixon has published more than 230 papers and sits on the editorial boards of multiple scientific journals.

Dr. Buxbaum is a world-renowned molecular geneticist whose recent work includes being part of the research team that identified MTHFD1L as a risk gene for late-onset Alzheimer's. As a principal Investigator at the Laboratory of Molecular Neuropsychiatry, his work focuses on human psychiatric and neurological diseases using the methods of genetics, genomics, cell and molecular biology, and animal models. His research on Alzheimer's emphasizes the functions of the Alzheimer amyloid protein precursor (APP) and identifying which genes are regulated by APP. Dr. Buxbaum is widely published and currently sits on the editorial board of Molecular Psychiatry.

A leader in the field, Dr. Dilworth-Anderson's current research focuses on health disparities pertaining to Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. Her past research and publications have included topics related to ethnic minority families, with an emphasis on older African Americans. In addition to her role on the MSAC, she serves on the editorial boards of three scientific journals. She is also a member of the National Advisory Council for the National Institute on Aging and the current president of the Gerontological Society of America.

Dr. Goate is internationally renowned for her work regarding genetic abnormalities and Alzheimer's. She was principal investigator for two major studies that reported the first genetic mutation associated with familial Alzheimer's and has identified mutations in four other genes related to Alzheimer's and dementia. The principal focus of her current work is the molecular genetics of neuropsychiatric diseases, including novel genetic risk factors for late-onset Alzheimer's. It is her mission to take basic science results, apply them to neurological diseases and translate those applications into better treatments. Dr. Goate is the recipient of many awards, including the Senior Investigator Award from the Metropolitan Life Foundation; the Potamkin Prize from the American Academy of Neurology; the Carl and Gerty Cori Faculty Achievement Award at Washington University; and the Innovation Award from the St. Louis Academy of Science. She has authored more than 160 scientific articles and book chapters.

Dr. Kawas is a neuropsychiatrist with extensive clinical experience treating Alzheimer's and dementia patients. Her research focuses on the epidemiology of aging and Alzheimer's disease and longitudinal and clinical pathological investigations. Recent work has included studies of cognitive and functional abilities of those older than 90. In addition to MSAC, she has served on various advisory boards, including committees associated with the American Neurological Association, National Institute on Aging and U.S. Food and Drug Administration. She currently is a reviewer for 10 scientific journals.

A distinguished expert on early detection of Alzheimer's, Dr. Klunk is known for work imaging the pathology of Alzheimer's. He was a member of the research team that developed the groundbreaking Pittsburgh Compound B (PiB), the first radiotracer capable of showing beta-amyloid in the living brain during a PET scan. He has been honored with a MERIT Award from the National Institute on Aging, the 2009 Ronald and Nancy Reagan Research Institute Award for research in Alzheimer's disease with colleague Chester A. Mathis, Ph.D., the 2008 Potamkin Prize and the 2004 MetLife Foundation Award. Dr. Klunk has published more than 100 journal articles and book chapters.

A distinguished clinical neuropathologist, Dr. Masliah, heads the Experimental Neuropathy Laboratory at the UCSD School of Medicine, where his research focuses on synaptic damage in neurodegenerative disorders and the development of new treatments, including novel gene therapies. His work has been essential to the discovery of overlap between Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's, as well as the development of transgenic animal models. Under his guidance, the Experimental Neuropathology Laboratory has made key discoveries associated with the role of a-synuclein in the pathogenesis of neurodegeneration. In addition to authoring more than 250 scientific papers, Dr. Masliah serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Neuropathology, Journal of Experimental Neurology and Journal of Laboratory Investigation, and has been a member of the Neuroscience of Aging Review Committee at the National Institutes on Aging since 1996.

A prominent researcher, Dr. Morris' work focuses on improving early-stage Alzheimer diagnosis, evaluating new treatments, and establishing phenotypes for inherited forms of Alzheimer's and other dementias. He is currently the principal investigator of several studies funded by the National Institute on Aging, including "Antecedent Biomarkers for AD: The Adult Children Study." His many honors include the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Alzheimer's Association, the 2004 MetLife Foundation Award for Medical Research and the 2005 Potamkin Prize. Dr. Morris has published more than 180 peer-reviewed articles.

Dr. Mucke has established a vigorous interdisciplinary program at the Gladstone Institute of Neurological disease, where his group studies neurodegenerative diseases and fundamental neuroscientific processes with an emphasis on the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease. He has generated informative experimental models of neurodegenerative disorders and used them to identify novel strategies to prevent neurological decline. In addition to serving on the MSAC, Dr. Mucke in on the National Advisory Council on Aging for the NIH and the Senate of the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases for the Helmholtz Gemeinschaft. He is also the author of nearly 100 original research papers.

Dr. Stern's work focuses on cognitive reserve and heterogeneity in the course of Alzheimer's disease. A widely published author, Dr. Stern has served on multiple editorial boards for scientific journals and is currently associate editor of the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society.

As co-investigator of the University of Washington Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and principal investigator of various NIH grants focusing on Alzheimer's and healthy aging, Dr. Teri focuses her work on:1) the ongoing development, implementation and evaluation of treatment programs for Alzheimer's disease patients and their caregivers, 2) investigating the relationship between cognitive, affective and behavioral function as it relates to disease progression and treatment, and 3) developing and evaluating training programs to increase independence and improve physical functioning in older adults. In addition to her appointment on the MSAC, she serves on four professional journal editorial boards and various NIH review committees. Dr. Teri has authored more than 200 professional publications and abstracts and co-authored three books on geropsychology.

A senior scientist and distinguished educator, Dr. Thies works with the Medical and Scientific Advisory Council to establish the overall scientific direction and key research initiatives of the Alzheimer's Association. Under his stewardship, the Alzheimer's Association International Research Grants Program has doubled and the Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (AAICAD) has grown into the world's leading forum on dementia research. In addition, Dr. Thies played a key role in launching Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association and in establishing the Alzheimer's Association Research Roundtable, a consortium of senior scientists from industry, academia and government who meet regularly to share nonproprietary information and overcome common barriers to Alzheimer drug discovery. Prior to joining the Alzheimer's Association, Dr. Thies held faculty positions at major universities. He also served at the American Heart Association, where he led establishment of a new stroke division that became the American Stroke Association. Dr. Thies is a member of the Institute of Medicine's Forum on Neuroscience and Nervous System Disorders.

Dr. Carrillo oversees the operation of the Alzheimer's Association International Research Grants Program, the world's largest private, nonprofit Alzheimer research funding initiative. She ensures the smooth and timely review of applications, supervises distribution of awards, and updates Association constituents on results of completed projects and the status of ongoing investigations. She also manages several Association initiatives, including the Alzheimer's Association Research Roundtable, the World-Wide Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (WW-ADNI) and the Working Group on Technology (WGT). Before joining the Alzheimer's Association, Dr. Carrillo completed a postdoctoral fellowship and held a faculty position in neurological sciences. She has published extensively on aspects of memory and is a member of the Genworth Financial Medical Advisory Board.

Since 1994, Dr. Fazio has served at the national headquarters of the Alzheimer's Association in a wide variety of roles. In his current role, he oversees the Alzheimer's Association International Conference on Alzheimer's Disease (AAICAD) and the Association's scientific journal Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association. As a thought leader in the experience of Alzheimer's and the perspective of people with the disease and their caregivers, Dr. Fazio oversees Alzheimer's Association social and behavioral research initiatives. He is involved in several Chicago-area research projects focusing on persistence of self, person-centered care, and health and wellness in older adults. He holds a part-time faculty position in the gerontology program at Chicago's Northeastern Illinois University. Dr. Fazio is widely published and presents at national and international conferences.