Brenda Lee Plassman

Brenda Lee Plassman is a Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Professor of Neurology at Duke University School of Medicine. She is also a Faculty Network Member of the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences and maintains an active research laboratory focused on cognitive aging and dementia. Her work bridges clinical practice, epidemiology, and genetics to understand the complex factors influencing cognitive health in later life.

Dr. Plassman earned her Ph.D. from the University of Arizona in 1986. Her research program spans several interconnected areas focused on understanding cognitive aging and dementia. She has pioneered work examining the epidemiology of dementia and cognitive impairment, with particular attention to risk and protective factors across the lifespan. Her innovative research on the behavioral genetics of aging, especially through twin studies, has provided critical insights into how genetic and environmental factors interact to influence cognitive trajectories. She has also made significant contributions to understanding the long-term cognitive consequences of traumatic brain injury and the emerging relationship between oral health and cognitive function in older adults.

Analysis of Dr. Plassman's extensive publication record reveals consistent themes in cognitive epidemiology, with particular emphasis on methodological innovations for studying dementia in population-based samples. Her work frequently employs sophisticated study designs including twin registries, longitudinal cohorts, and multi-site interventions. She has developed expertise in examining how social determinants, environmental exposures, and biological factors converge to influence cognitive aging trajectories.

Dr. Plassman has been instrumental in several major research initiatives including the Duke Twins Study of Memory in Aging within the NAS-NRC Twin Registry, the Aging, Demographics, and Memory Study (ADAMS), and numerous NIH-funded projects examining cognitive aging. Her collaborative approach spans disciplines including neurology, geriatrics, epidemiology, genetics, and oral health, reflecting the multifactorial nature of cognitive aging research.