Kristine Yaffe

Kristine Yaffe, MD is a distinguished Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Epidemiology at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine. She holds the Roy and Marie Scola Endowed Chair and serves as Vice Chair of Research in the Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Yaffe is also affiliated with the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences and directs the Center for Population Brain Health.

Dr. Yaffe completed her BS in Biology-Psychology at Yale University, earned her MD from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, and completed her residency in Neurology and Psychiatry followed by fellowships in Geriatric Psychiatry and Clinical Epidemiology, all at UCSF. Her comprehensive training bridges clinical medicine, neuroscience, and population health.

As an internationally recognized expert in dementia epidemiology and cognitive aging, Dr. Yaffe's research focuses on identifying modifiable risk factors for dementia. Her work has demonstrated that potentially 30%-40% of dementia risk may be preventable. She has pioneered investigations into the roles of physical activity, cardiovascular health, sleep disorders, and traumatic brain injury in cognitive aging. Dr. Yaffe's research is supported by over a dozen NIH, Department of Defense, VA, and foundation grants, reflecting the significance and impact of her work in the field.

Dr. Yaffe has published over 700 peer-reviewed articles with an H-index of 174, making her one of the most highly cited researchers in her field. Her publications span diverse areas including dementia prevention, sleep-cognition relationships, and health disparities in cognitive aging. Her recent work has particularly focused on multidomain risk reduction strategies, the impact of vascular health on brain aging, and the development of biomarkers for early cognitive decline.

• National Academy of Medicine Elected Member (2019)
• American Academy of Neurology Potamkin Prize for Dementia Research (2017)
• Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researcher (2018-2021)
• American College of Psychiatrists Research Award in Geriatric Psychiatry (2015)
• American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry Distinguished Scientist Award (2014)

Dr. Yaffe has mentored numerous trainees and leads several major research initiatives including the Systematic Multi-domain Alzheimer's Risk Reduction Trial (SMARRT). She has been instrumental in developing frameworks for dementia prevention and has advised national and international bodies on strategies to improve population brain health. Her laboratory at UCSF continues to investigate the complex interplay between lifestyle factors, medical conditions, and brain aging across diverse populations.