Sarah E. Cook

Sarah E. Cook serves as Associate Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and Neurology at Duke University School of Medicine, where she directs Clinical Neuropsychology in the Department of Neurology and participates in the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences network. Her academic appointments bridge neurological and psychiatric approaches to cognitive disorders in aging populations.

She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Florida in 2008, establishing her foundation in neuropsychological assessment and cognitive aging research.

Dr. Cook's research centers on clinical neuropsychology with emphasis on mild cognitive impairment, Alzheimer's disease progression, and cognitive assessment methodologies in geriatric populations. Her work investigates dual-task performance limitations, subjective memory complaints versus objective impairment, and capacity evaluation for medical decision-making in elderly patients. She specializes in translating neuropsychological findings into clinical applications for cognitive screening and functional assessment.

Analysis of her publication history reveals persistent focus on longitudinal cognitive aging studies, particularly leveraging the ACTIVE cohort. Her research consistently addresses classification systems for mild cognitive impairment, real-world functional impacts of cognitive decline, and innovative assessment approaches including telephone-based cognitive screening. The work demonstrates strong integration of neuropsychological testing with geriatric medicine and surgical ethics considerations.