Neil W. Kowall, MD
Emeritus Professor, Neurology
Biography
Dr. Neil W. Kowall was born in Calgary, Canada and graduated with his MD from the University of British Columbia. He moved to Boston for postgraduate training in Internal Medicine at the Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital followed by a Neurology residency at Massachusetts General Hospital. After finishing his clinical training, he completed a postdoctoral research fellowship and was appointed Assistant Professor of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. He moved to the VA and Boston University in 1992 where he is currently Professor of Neurology and Pathology, Chief of Neurology at VA Boston Healthcare System, Director of the VA New England Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center and Director of the NIH-funded Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Center. He has published over 199 original reports. His major research interests are human neuroanatomy and neuropathology and the use of animal models to test novel therapies for neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Kowall’s research interests include the following: human neuroanatomy, immunocytochemistry and enzyme histochemistry of the brain, neuropathological basis of neurological disorders, animal models of neurological diseases, geriatric neurology, and cognitive decline in the elderly.
Other Positions
- Professor, Pathology & Laboratory Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
- Director of Alzheimer's Disease Center, Dean’s Office, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
- Member, Evans Center for Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research, Boston University
- Graduate Faculty (Primary Mentor of Grad Students), Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Graduate Medical Sciences
Websites
Education
- University of British Columbia, MD
- University of British Columbia, BS
Publications
- Published on 1/31/2025
Wang L, Hu W, Dong F, Sheng C, Wu J, Han Y, Jiang J, Weiner MW, Aisen P, Petersen R, Jack CR, Jagust W, Trojanowski JQ, Toga AW, Beckett L, Green RC, Saykin AJ, Morris J, Shaw LM, Khachaturian Z, Sorensen G, Kuller L, Raichle M, Paul S, Davies P, Fillit H, Hefti F, Holtzman D, Mesulam MM, Potter W, Snyder P, Schwartz A, Montine T, Thomas RG, Donohue M, Walter S, Gessert D, Sather T, Jiminez G, Harvey D, Bernstein M, Thompson P, Schuff N, Borowski B, Gunter J, Senjem M, Vemuri P, Jones D, Kantarci K, Ward C, Koeppe RA, Foster N, Reiman EM, Chen K, Mathis C, Landau S, Cairns NJ, Householder E, Taylor-Reinwald L, Lee V, Korecka M, Figurski M, Crawford K, Neu S, Foroud TM, Potkin SG, Shen L, Faber K, Kim S, Nho K, Thal L, Buckholtz N, Albert M, Frank R, Hsiao J, Kaye J, Quinn J, Lind B, Carter R, Dolen S, Schneider LS, Pawluczyk S, Beccera M, Teodoro L, Spann BM, Brewer J, Vanderswag H, Fleisher A, Heidebrink JL, Lord JL, Mason SS, Albers CS, Knopman D, Johnson K, Doody RS, Villanueva-Meyer J, Chowdhury M, Rountree S, Dang M, Stern Y, Honig LS, Bell KL, Ances B, Carroll M, Leon S, Mintun MA, Schneider S, Oliver A, Marson D, Griffith R, Clark D, Geldmacher D, Brockington J, Roberson E, Grossman H, Mitsis E, de Toledo-Morrell L, Shah RC, Duara R, Varon D, Greig MT, Roberts P, Onyike C, D'Agostino D, Kielb S, Galvin JE, Cerbone B, Michel CA, Rusinek H, de Leon MJ, Glodzik L, De Santi S, Doraiswamy P, Petrella JR, Wong TZ, Arnold SE, Karlawish JH, Wolk D, Smith CD, Jicha G, Hardy P, Sinha P, Oates E, Conrad G, Lopez OL, Oakley M, Simpson DM, Porsteinsson AP, Goldstein BS, Martin K, Makino KM, Ismail M, Brand C, Mulnard RA, Thai G, McAdams-Ortiz C, Womack K, Mathews D, Quiceno M, Diaz-Arrastia R, King R, Weiner M, Martin-Cook K, DeVous M, Levey AI, Lah JJ, Cellar JS, Burns JM, Anderson HS, Swerdlow RH, Apostolova L, Tingus K, Woo E, Silverman DHS, Lu PH, Bartzokis G, Graff-Radford NR, Parfitt F, Kendall T, Johnson H, Farlow MR, Hake AM, Matthews BR, Herring S, Hunt C, van Dyck CH, Carson RE, MacAvoy MG, Chertkow H, Bergman H, Hosein C, Hsiung GR, Feldman H, Mudge B, Assaly M, Bernick C, Munic D, Kertesz A, Rogers J, Trost D, Kerwin D, Lipowski K, Wu CK, Johnson N, Sadowsky C, Martinez W, Villena T, Turner RS, Johnson K, Reynolds B, Sperling RA, Johnson KA, Marshall G, Frey M, Lane B, Rosen A, Tinklenberg J, Sabbagh MN, Belden CM, Jacobson SA, Sirrel SA, Kowall N, Killiany R, Budson AE, Norbash A, Johnson PL, Allard J, Lerner A, Ogrocki P, Hudson L, Fletcher E, Carmichae O, Olichney J, DeCarli C, Kittur S, Borrie M, Lee TY, Bartha R, Johnson S, Asthana S, Carlsson CM, Preda A, Nguyen D, Tariot P, Reeder S, Bates V, Capote H, Rainka M, Scharre DW, Kataki M, Adeli A, Zimmerman EA, Celmins D, Brown AD, Pearlson GD, Blank K, Anderson K, Santulli RB, Kitzmiller TJ, Schwartz ES, Sink KM, Williamson JD, Garg P, Watkins F, Ott BR, Querfurth H, Tremont G, Salloway S, Malloy P, Correia S, Rosen HJ, Miller BL, Mintzer J, Spicer K, Bachman D, Pasternak S, Rachinsky I, Drost D, Pomara N, Hernando R, Sarrael A, Schultz SK, Ponto LLB, Shim H, Smith KE, Relkin N, Chaing G, Raudin L, Smith A, Fargher K, Raj BA, Neylan T, Grafman J, Davis M, Morrison R, Hayes J, Finley S, Friedl K, Fleischman D, Arfanakis K, James O, Massoglia D, Fruehling J, Harding S, Peskind ER, Petrie EC, Li G, Yesavage JA, Taylor JL, Furst AJ. Dynamic proportional loss of functional connectivity revealed change of left superior frontal gyrus in subjective cognitive decline: an explanatory study based on Chinese and Western cohorts. Geroscience. 2025 Jan 31. PMID: 39888585.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 12/2/2024
Abdolmohammadi B, Tuz-Zahra F, Uretsky M, Nicks R, Mosaheb S, Labonte J, Yhang E, Durape S, Martin B, Palmisano J, Nowinski C, Cherry JD, Alvarez VE, Huber BR, Dams-O'Connor K, Crary J, Dwyer B, Daneshvar DH, Goldstein LE, Au R, Katz DI, Kowall NW, Cantu RC, Stern RA, Alosco ML, Stein TD, Tripodis Y, McKee AC, Mez J. Duration of Ice Hockey Play and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. JAMA Netw Open. 2024 Dec 02; 7(12):e2449106. PMID: 39630446.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 11/27/2024
Uretsky M, Nair E, Burton R, Cronin SW, Rousseau D, Tuz-Zahra F, Durape S, Abdolmohammadi B, Baucom Z, Saltiel N, Shah A, Martin B, Palmisano J, Cherry JD, Daneshvar D, Dwyer B, Dams-O'Connor K, Crary J, Goldstein L, Huber B, Katz D, Kowall N, Cantu RC, Alvarez VE, Stern RA, Stein TD, Tripodis Y, McKee AC, Alosco ML, Mez J. Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, Family History of Mental Illness, and Aggression in Brain Donors With Repetitive Head Impact Exposure. Neurology. 2024 Dec 24; 103(12):e210056. PMID: 39602665.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 4/15/2024
Culhane JE, Jackson CE, Tripodis Y, Nowinski CJ, Dams-O'Connor K, Pettway E, Uretsky M, Abdolmohammadi B, Nair E, Martin B, Palmisano J, Katz DI, Dwyer B, Daneshvar DH, Goldstein LE, Kowall NW, Cantu RC, Stern RA, Huber BR, Crary JF, Mez J, Stein TD, McKee AC, Alosco ML. Lack of Association of Informant-Reported Traumatic Brain Injury and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. J Neurotrauma. 2024 Jun; 41(11-12):1399-1408. PMID: 38445389.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 2/26/2024
Alexander A, Alvarez VE, Huber BR, Alosco ML, Mez J, Tripodis Y, Nicks R, Katz DI, Dwyer B, Daneshvar DH, Martin B, Palmisano J, Goldstein LE, Crary JF, Nowinski C, Cantu RC, Kowall NW, Stern RA, Delalle I, McKee AC, Stein TD. Cortical-sparing chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CSCTE): a distinct subtype of CTE. Acta Neuropathol. 2024 Feb 26; 147(1):45. PMID: 38407651.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 2/6/2024
Alosco ML, White M, Bell C, Faheem F, Tripodis Y, Yhang E, Baucom Z, Martin B, Palmisano J, Dams-O'Connor K, Crary JF, Goldstein LE, Katz DI, Dwyer B, Daneshvar DH, Nowinski C, Cantu RC, Kowall NW, Stern RA, Alvarez VE, Huber BR, Stein TD, McKee AC, Mez J. Cognitive, functional, and neuropsychiatric correlates of regional tau pathology in autopsy-confirmed chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Mol Neurodegener. 2024 Feb 06; 19(1):10. PMID: 38317248.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 12/30/2023
Montoliu-Gaya L, Alosco ML, Yhang E, Tripodis Y, Sconzo D, Ally M, Grötschel L, Ashton NJ, Lantero-Rodriguez J, Sauer M, Gomes B, Nilsson J, Brinkmalm G, Sugarman MA, Aparicio HJ, Martin B, Palmisano JN, Steinberg EG, Simkin I, Turk KW, Budson AE, Au R, Farrer L, Jun GR, Kowall NW, Stern RA, Goldstein LE, Qiu WQ, Mez J, Huber BR, Alvarez VE, McKee AC, Zetterberg H, Gobom J, Stein TD, Blennow K. Optimal blood tau species for the detection of Alzheimer's disease neuropathology: an immunoprecipitation mass spectrometry and autopsy study. Acta Neuropathol. 2023 Dec 30; 147(1):5. PMID: 38159140.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 10/25/2023
Ally M, Sugarman MA, Zetterberg H, Blennow K, Ashton NJ, Karikari TK, Aparicio HJ, Frank B, Tripodis Y, Martin B, Palmisano JN, Steinberg EG, Simkin I, Farrer LA, Jun GR, Turk KW, Budson AE, O'Connor MK, Au R, Goldstein LE, Kowall NW, Killiany R, Stern RA, Stein TD, McKee AC, Qiu WQ, Mez J, Alosco ML. Cross-sectional and longitudinal evaluation of plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein to detect and predict clinical syndromes of Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimers Dement (Amst). 2023; 15(4):e12492. PMID: 37885919.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 10/1/2023
McKee AC, Mez J, Abdolmohammadi B, Butler M, Huber BR, Uretsky M, Babcock K, Cherry JD, Alvarez VE, Martin B, Tripodis Y, Palmisano JN, Cormier KA, Kubilus CA, Nicks R, Kirsch D, Mahar I, McHale L, Nowinski C, Cantu RC, Stern RA, Daneshvar D, Goldstein LE, Katz DI, Kowall NW, Dwyer B, Stein TD, Alosco ML. Neuropathologic and Clinical Findings in Young Contact Sport Athletes Exposed to Repetitive Head Impacts. JAMA Neurol. 2023 Oct 01; 80(10):1037-1050. PMID: 37639244.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 7/20/2023
Groechel RC, Tripodis Y, Alosco ML, Mez J, Qiao Qiu W, Goldstein L, Budson AE, Kowall NW, Shaw LM, Weiner M, Jack CR, Killiany RJ. Biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease in Black and/or African American Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) participants. Neurobiol Aging. 2023 Nov; 131:144-152. PMID: 37639768.
Read at: PubMed
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