Emily Rogalski

Emily Rogalski is a Professor in the Department of Neurology at the University of Chicago, leading pioneering research on cognitive aging, dementia, and primary progressive aphasia. Her work centers on understanding exceptional cognitive resilience in aging (SuperAging) and developing evidence-based communication interventions for neurodegenerative conditions.

As Principal Investigator of the NIH-funded Study to Uncover Pathways to Exceptional Cognitive Resilience in Aging (SUPERAging), Dr. Rogalski investigates why some individuals maintain exceptional memory abilities well into advanced age. Her laboratory employs multimodal approaches including structural and functional MRI, PET imaging, and neuropsychological assessment to identify the biological, cognitive, and lifestyle factors contributing to cognitive resilience. She has established important distinctions between early-onset and late-onset Alzheimer's disease, particularly regarding patterns of cortical atrophy and cognitive profiles.

Dr. Rogalski's Communication Bridge intervention represents one of the first rigorously tested communication therapies specifically designed for primary progressive aphasia, emphasizing the critical role of communication partners and functional communication outcomes. Through the Longitudinal Early-onset Alzheimer's Disease Study (LEADS) consortium, she has contributed significantly to understanding reliable cognitive change metrics for clinical trials and sex differences in neurodegenerative conditions.

Her research bridges basic neuroscience with clinical applications, developing practical interventions that improve quality of life for individuals with language-focused dementias. Dr. Rogalski serves on multiple national and international consortia and has contributed to establishing clinical criteria for limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy and consensus recommendations for primary progressive aphasia research and clinical practice.