Three Faculty Named Spivack Scholars

Benjamin Wolozin, MD, PhD, is the recipient of the Jack Spivack Excellence in Neurosciences Award for 2017. Mr. Spivack established the award in 2013 to recognize and support the research of an outstanding faculty member conducting clinical or basic research in Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, and other neurological disorders. Wolozin’s discovery of the essential role of RNA binding proteins in the pathophysiology of tauopathies, including Alzheimer’s, has changed the way we understand these diseases.

Professor of Pharmacology and Neurology, Wolozin came to BUSM in 2004 from Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine. He is affiliated with our programs in Neuroscience, Genetics and Cell and Molecular biology. Wolozin received his BA in chemistry from Wesleyan University, Middletown, Conn., and his combined MD/PhD in neuroscience from the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in NYC.

The author of more than 150 peer-reviewed papers and book chapters, Wolozin was named a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) in 2016. His many honors include the Zenith Award from the Alzheimer’s Association in 2013 and the Department of Medicine Evans Center Collaborator of the Year Award also in 2013.

Dr. Wolozin’s research examines the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Parkinson’s. His laboratory is currently focused on exploring how physiological aggregation of RNA binding proteins contributes to disease processes when it goes awry. This research is leading to the discovery of novel therapeutic approaches and diagnostic markers for these diseases.

In addition two faculty have been named 2017 Spivack Emerging Leaders.

Hugo Javier Aparicio, MD, MPH, is an assistant professor of Neurology and an investigator at the Framingham Heart Study, whose research interests include the identification of lifestyle risk factors, biomarkers, neuroimaging markers and genetic influences associated with cerebrovascular diseases. He is particularly interested in the contributions of vascular risk factors to brain aging, cognitive dysfunction and the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Aparicio received his BA in biology and Spanish from Emory University, his MD from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and his MPH from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Scott Hayes, PhD, is an assistant professor of psychiatry and a research psychologist at VA Boston Healthcare System. His research interests include the examination of the neural correlates of memory using magnetic resonance imaging, and he is particularly interested in studying the impact of physical fitness and physical activity on cognition and the brain. Hayes received his BA in Psychology and Biology from Skidmore College in New York, and his PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Arizona.