James B. Rowe

Professor James B. Rowe is a distinguished cognitive neurologist at the University of Cambridge, holding positions at the MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit and Cambridge Neuroscience. His research program focuses on dementia and neurodegeneration, with four integrated pillars: defining cognitive processes affected by dementia, determining mechanisms of individual differences, predicting brain function trajectories across the lifespan, and developing new drugs to protect or restore brain function.

• University of Cambridge, School of Clinical Medicine
• MRC Cognition and Brain Sciences Unit
• Cambridge Neuroscience

Rowe's research spans multiple neurodegenerative conditions including Alzheimer's disease, frontotemporal dementia, Parkinson's disease, and progressive supranuclear palsy. He utilizes advanced neuroimaging techniques (MEG, EEG, fMRI, DWI, PET) alongside cognitive modeling, genetics, and neuropathology to understand disease mechanisms. His work emphasizes precision biomarkers for experimental medicine studies in precisely characterized clinical populations.

Analysis of his recent publications (2023-2025) reveals strong focus on synaptic loss, neuroinflammation, and noradrenergic dysfunction across neurodegenerative diseases. His team has pioneered the use of [11C]UCB-J PET to measure synaptic density in vivo, demonstrating its relationship to clinical severity in frontotemporal dementia. There's also significant work on blood-based biomarkers of inflammation and their relationship to central pathology and survival outcomes.

• Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences (FMedSci)
• Principal investigator for multiple major studies including CamCAN, GENFI, PROSPECT, ICICLE-PD, and PiPPIN

Rowe leads an extensive research program with collaborations across Europe and beyond, conducting both observational and interventional studies. His team has established robust methods for harmonizing cognitive data across aging and dementia cohorts, enabling large-scale analyses. Current work focuses on developing the Cambridge Questionnaire for Apathy and Impulsivity Traits (CamQUAIT) and investigating noradrenergic contributions to cognitive processes in Parkinson's disease through pharmacological interventions.

His laboratory integrates multiple methodologies including magnetoencephalography, PET imaging, cognitive testing, and blood biomarker analysis to understand the neural basis of cognitive changes in neurodegenerative diseases. Recent work has established important links between locus coeruleus integrity, noradrenergic function, and cognitive symptoms in parkinsonian disorders.