Robert Rissman

Robert Rissman is a Professor of Physiology and Neuroscience and the W.M. Keck Endowed Chair in Medicine at the University of Southern California (USC). He directs the Neuroscience Translational Research Division (NTRD) at USC’s San Diego campus within the Alzheimer’s Therapeutic Research Institute (ATRI). His research focuses on identifying plasma biomarkers for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders (ADRD), leveraging biorepositories and animal models to understand neurodegeneration mechanisms. Key roles include Biomarker Unit Lead for the Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials Consortium (ACTC) and USC’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center.

His research interests emphasize biomarker development, extracellular vesicle analysis, synucleinopathy, and comorbidities in neurodegenerative diseases. The NTRD includes a wet lab and biorepository supporting clinical trials and cohort studies. Notable contributions include validating plasma biomarkers for ADRD and discovering astrocyte-derived TDP-43 as a LATE biomarker.

Awards include the 2024 Mark Smith Alzheimer’s Award from the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. His work spans 200+ publications, with recent focus on exercise interventions, nicotinamide trials, and genetic risk factors for FTLD-TDP subtypes. Current projects explore biomarker standardization, ethnic disparities in ADRD, and novel therapies targeting amyloid-beta and tau pathways.

• Awards: Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease Mark Smith Award (2024)
• Clinical Leadership: ACTC Biomarker Unit Lead, NTRD Director
• Labs/Teams: NTRD (wet lab + biorepository), ATRI Translational Team