Deborah Gustafson

Deborah Gustafson, PhD MS, is a Professor of Neurology at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University and Guest Professor at the Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Chemistry, University of Gothenburg, Sweden. She serves as Director of the NeuroEpidemiology Program and Principal Investigator for the NIH-funded MACS/WIHS Combined Cohort Study (Brooklyn Clinical Research Site). She co-chairs the Aging Working Group focused on cognition and frailty and chairs The International Society of Vascular Behavioural and Cognitive Disorders.

• Education: PhD, MS, BA from the University of Minnesota; NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship in Genetic Epidemiology

Her research spans 20+ years in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (ADRD), emphasizing adiposity, neuroendocrine aspects of brain health, and vascular risk factors. She has over 200 publications and received the 2022 American Academy of Neurology’s Neuroendocrine Research Award, a Swedish Research Council mid-career award, and attained docentur at the University of Gothenburg.

Her recent work examines the interplay of metabolic factors (e.g., cholesterol, homocysteine, adiposity), genetic polymorphisms, and mental health (e.g., depression, phobic fears) in aging populations, with longitudinal studies spanning 32+ years. She also explores hormonal impacts on cognition, white matter lesions, and secular trends in dementia predictors.

• Scientific Awards:
  • 2022 American Academy of Neurology’s Neuroendocrine Research Award
  • Swedish Research Council Mid-Career Research Award
  • NIH Postdoctoral Fellowship

She leads multicenter studies on dementia and advises on vascular-behavioral-cognitive disorders. Her affiliations include the MACS/WIHS Combined Cohort Study and collaborations with the University of Gothenburg. Her research integrates epidemiological, genetic, and neuroimaging data to address ADRD risk factors.