Robert A. Stern, PhD
Professor, Neurology
Biography
I am Co-Founder and Director of Clinical Research for the Boston University (BU) Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) Center. A major focus of my current research is to develop methods of detecting and diagnosing CTE during life and to better understand the risk factors for later-life neurological consequences of repetitive mild traumatic brain injuries in former American football players, soccer players, and other contact sport athletes. I was the principal investigator of the first grant funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to study CTE, for the DETECT Study. Subsequently, I was the lead investigator of the DIAGNOSE CTE Research Project, a $17 million, multi-center, 8-year study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). I was also the principal investigator of the Head Impact & Trauma Surveillance Study (HITSS; also funded by NIH), a longitudinal online assessment of 4800 former American football players and soccer players (age 40 years or older) who participated at any level. My other major area of funded research includes the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease. From 2010-2019, I was the Clinical Core Director of the NIA-funded BU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC); I remain a Senior Investigator for the BU ADRC. In these roles, I have been honored to oversee a multidisciplinary group of talented scientists and clinicians and direct the center’s longitudinal research registry, as well as several NIH- and industry-funded diagnostic, prevention, and treatment trials. In addition, I have developed several commonly used tests and instruments, including the Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (NAB). I have had leadership positions in several training programs and have mentored over 40 trainees.
Other Positions
- Professor, Anatomy & Neurobiology, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
- Professor, Neurosurgery, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
- Graduate Faculty (Primary Mentor of Grad Students), Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Graduate Medical Sciences
- Director of Clinical Research, Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Center, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine
Education
- University of Rhode Island, PhD
- University of Rhode Island, MA
- Wesleyan University, BA
Publications
- Published on 9/1/2024
Adams JW, Kirsch D, Calderazzo SM, Tuz-Zahra F, Tripodis Y, Mez J, Alosco ML, Alvarez VE, Huber BR, Kubilus C, Cormier KA, Nicks R, Uretsky M, Nair E, Kuzyk E, Aytan N, Cherry JD, Crary JF, Daneshvar DH, Nowinski CJ, Goldstein LE, Dwyer B, Katz DI, Cantu RC, Stern RA, McKee AC, Stein TD. Substantia Nigra Pathology, Contact Sports Play, and Parkinsonism in Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. JAMA Neurol. 2024 Sep 01; 81(9):916-924. PMID: 39008284.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 8/29/2024
Asken BM, Bove JM, Bauer RM, Tanner JA, Casaletto KB, Staffaroni AM, VandeVrede L, Alosco ML, Mez JB, Stern RA, Miller BL, Grinberg LT, Boxer AL, Gorno-Tempini ML, Rosen HJ, Rabinovici GD, Kramer JH. Clinical implications of head trauma in frontotemporal dementia and primary progressive aphasia. Alzheimers Res Ther. 2024 Aug 29; 16(1):193. PMID: 39210451.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 8/1/2024
Jung LB, Wiegand TLT, Tuz-Zahra F, Tripodis Y, Iliff JJ, Piantino J, Arciniega H, Kim CL, Pankatz L, Bouix S, Lin AP, Alosco ML, Daneshvar DH, Mez J, Sepehrband F, Rathi Y, Pasternak O, Coleman MJ, Adler CH, Bernick C, Balcer L, Cummings JL, Reiman EM, Stern RA, Shenton ME, Koerte IK. Repetitive Head Impacts and Perivascular Space Volume in Former American Football Players. JAMA Netw Open. 2024 Aug 01; 7(8):e2428687. PMID: 39186275.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 7/22/2024
Pulukuri SV, Fagle TR, Trujillo-Rodriguez D, van Amerongen S, Bernick C, Geda YE, Wethe JV, Peskind ER, Katz DI, Alosco ML, Palmisano JN, Tripodis Y, Adler CH, Balcer LJ, Reiman EM, Shenton ME, Cummings JL, Stern RA. Characterizing Neurobehavioral Dysregulation Among Former American Football Players: Findings From the DIAGNOSE CTE Research Project. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2024 Jul 22; appineuropsych20230133. PMID: 39034669.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 5/29/2024
Stern R, Kester K, Engel J. Recognizing unique characteristics to create equitable, culturally competent teams. Nurs Manage. 2024 Jun 01; 55(6):47-50. PMID: 38811375.
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 3/27/2024
Arciniega H, Baucom ZH, Tuz-Zahra F, Tripodis Y, John O, Carrington H, Kim N, Knyazhanskaya EE, Jung LB, Breedlove K, Wiegand TLT, Daneshvar DH, Rushmore RJ, Billah T, Pasternak O, Coleman MJ, Adler CH, Bernick C, Balcer LJ, Alosco ML, Koerte IK, Lin AP, Cummings JL, Reiman EM, Stern RA, Shenton ME, Bouix S. Brain morphometry in former American football players: Findings from the DIAGNOSE CTE research project. Brain. 2024 Mar 27. PMID: 38533783.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 2/26/2024
Banks SJ, Yhang E, Tripodis Y, Su Y, Protas H, Adler CH, Balcer LJ, Bernick C, Mez JB, Palmisano J, Barr WB, Wethe JV, Dodick DW, Mcclean MD, Martin B, Hartlage K, Turner A, Turner RW, Malhotra A, Colman M, Pasternak O, Lin AP, Koerte IK, Bouix S, Cummings JL, Shenton ME, Reiman EM, Stern RA, Alosco ML. Clinical Outcomes and Tau Pathology in Retired Football Players: Associations With Diagnosed and Witnessed Sleep Apnea. Neurol Clin Pract. 2024 Apr; 14(2):e200263. PMID: 38425491.
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 2/9/2024
van Amerongen S, Pulukuri SV, Tuz-Zahra F, Tripodis Y, Cherry JD, Bernick C, Geda YE, Wethe JV, Katz DI, Alosco ML, Adler CH, Balcer LJ, Ashton NJ, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, Daneshvar DH, Colasurdo EA, Iliff JJ, Li G, Peskind ER, Shenton ME, Reiman EM, Cummings JL, Stern RA. Inflammatory biomarkers for neurobehavioral dysregulation in former American football players: findings from the DIAGNOSE CTE Research Project. J Neuroinflammation. 2024 Feb 09; 21(1):46. PMID: 38336728.
Read at: PubMed
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