Susan Y Bookheimer

Susan Y. Bookheimer, PhD, is Professor-in-residence in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California, Los Angeles. From 2008 to 2024 she held the endowed Joaquin M. Fuster Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience and currently directs or co-directs several large-scale NIH consortia including the UCLA site of the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, the Lifespan Human Connectome Project in Aging, and newly funded initiatives on resilience to Alzheimer’s disease in centenarians.

Education & Training
Details of formal degrees are not provided in the source text; however, her continuous NIH funding since 1995 and leadership roles imply advanced research training in clinical neuroscience and neuroimaging.

Research Focus
Dr. Bookheimer’s work integrates multimodal neuroimaging (fMRI, sMRI, DTI, PET, EEG) with genetics, cognitive testing, and clinical phenotyping to understand:

• Typical and atypical brain development across the lifespan
• Neurobiological underpinnings of autism spectrum disorder and sensory phenotypes
• Early detection and prediction of Alzheimer’s disease and age-related cognitive decline
• Neuroplasticity and cognitive outcomes following epilepsy surgery
• Effects of environmental adversity, stress, and social support on brain networks

Scientific Awards & Honors

• Joaquin M. Fuster Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience, UCLA (2008–2024)
• Principal or Co-Principal Investigator on >15 active NIH grants totaling >$100 M
• Over 230 peer-reviewed publications with >25,000 citations (Google Scholar metrics)

Grants & Consortia Leadership
Dr. Bookheimer currently leads or co-leads the following major NIH projects:

• U19AG073585 – Vulnerability and Resiliency in the Aging Adult Brain Connectome (AABC)
• U19AG073172 – Resilience/Resistance to Alzheimer’s Disease in Centenarians and Offspring (RADCO)
• R01AG073480 – Modulation of Hippocampal Circuitry with Focused Ultrasound in Amnestic MCI
• P50HD103557 – UCLA Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Center
• U01DA050987 – ABCD-USA Consortium Research Project Site at UCLA
• U01AG052564 – Mapping the Human Connectome During Typical Aging
• U01MH109589 – Mapping the Human Connectome During Typical Development

In addition, she has served as PI on prior awards including P50HD055784 (Autism Center), R01AG013308 (Alzheimer’s Risk), and P30HD004612 (IDDRC).

Laboratories & Teams
Dr. Bookheimer directs the UCLA Brain Mapping Center (part of the Ahmanson-Lovelace Brain Mapping Center) and co-directs imaging cores for both the UCLA IDDRC and the ABCD Study. Her multidisciplinary teams include post-doctoral fellows, graduate students, research staff, and collaborators across neurology, radiology, psychology, and genetics departments.