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 on the long-term consequences of repetitive head impacts, including the neuropathological, risk factors (e.g., genetic and head impact exposure), neuroimaging, biomarker development, and clinical diagnosis and descriptions of the neurodegenerative disease, CTE. I am currently lead PI of an NINDS-funded, 7-year, multicenter project examining these issues. From 2010-2019, I was the Clinical Core Director of the NIA-funded BU Alzheimer’s Disease Center (BU ADC); I remain a Senior Investigator for the BU ADC. 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. Other areas of my research program include the diagnosis, risk factors, and treatment of cognitive decline and neuropsychiatric dysfunction in aging. I have also published extensively on the psychometric properties of many widely used tests in neuropsychology, as well as the use of various instruments and biomarkers in the differential diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and AD Related Dementias (ADRD). 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, have mentored over 40 trainees, and play a key role in the professional development of junior faculty in the BU School of Medicine (BUSM).
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 10/5/2023
Stern RA, Trujillo-Rodriguez D, Tripodis Y, Pulukuri SV, Alosco ML, Adler CH, Balcer LJ, Bernick C, Baucom Z, Marek KL, McClean MD, Johnson KA, McKee AC, Stein TD, Mez J, Palmisano JN, Cummings JL, Shenton ME, Reiman EM. Amyloid PET across the cognitive spectrum in former professional and college American football players: findings from the DIAGNOSE CTE Research Project. Alzheimers Res Ther. 2023 Oct 05; 15(1):166. PMID: 37798671.
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 8/1/2023
Bruce HJ, Tripodis Y, McClean M, Korell M, Tanner CM, Contreras B, Gottesman J, Kirsch L, Karim Y, Martin B, Palmisano J, Abdolmohammadi B, Shih LC, Stein TD, Stern RA, Adler CH, Mez J, Nowinski C, McKee AC, Alosco ML. American Football Play and Parkinson Disease Among Men. JAMA Netw Open. 2023 Aug 01; 6(8):e2328644. PMID: 37566412.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 7/8/2023
Rajabli F, Benchek P, Tosto G, Kushch N, Sha J, Bazemore K, Zhu C, Lee WP, Haut J, Hamilton-Nelson KL, Wheeler NR, Zhao Y, Farrell JJ, Grunin MA, Leung YY, Kuksa PP, Li D, Lucio da Fonseca E, Mez JB, Palmer EL, Pillai J, Sherva RM, Song YE, Zhang X, Iqbal T, Pathak O, Valladares O, Kuzma AB, Abner E, Adams PM, Aguirre A, Albert MS, Albin RL, Allen M, Alvarez L, Apostolova LG, Arnold SE, Asthana S, Atwood CS, Ayres G, Baldwin CT, Barber RC, Barnes LL, Barral S, Beach TG, Becker JT, Beecham GW, Beekly D, Benitez BA, Bennett D, Bertelson J, Bird TD, Blacker D, Boeve BF, Bowen JD, Boxer A, Brewer J, Burke JR, Burns JM, Buxbaum JD, Cairns NJ, Cantwell LB, Cao C, Carlson CS, Carlsson CM, Carney RM, Carrasquillo MM, Chasse S, Chesselet MF, Chin NA, Chui HC, Chung J, Craft S, Crane PK, Cribbs DH, Crocco EA, Cruchaga C, Cuccaro ML, Cullum M, Darby E, Davis B, De Jager PL, DeCarli C, DeToledo J, Dick M, Dickson DW, Dombroski BA, Doody RS, Duara R, Ertekin-Taner N, Evans DA, Faber KM, Fairchild TJ, Fallon KB, Fardo DW, Farlow MR, Fernandez-Hernandez V, Ferris S, Foroud TM, Frosch MP, Fulton-Howard B, Galasko DR, Gamboa A, Gearing M, Geschwind DH, Ghetti B, Gilbert JR, Goate AM, Grabowski TJ, Graff-Radford NR, Green RC, Growdon JH, Hakonarson H, Hall J, Hamilton RL, Harari O, Hardy J, Harrell LE, Head E, Henderson VW, Hernandez M, Hohman T, Honig LS, Huebinger RM, Huentelman MJ, Hulette CM, Hyman BT, Hynan LS, Ibanez L, Jarvik GP, Jayadev S, Jin LW, Johnson K, Johnson L, Kamboh MI, Karydas AM, Katz MJ, Kauwe JS, Kaye JA, Keene CD, Khaleeq A, Kim R, Knebl J, Kowall NW, Kramer JH, Kukull WA, LaFerla FM, Lah JJ, Larson EB, Lerner A, Leverenz JB, Levey AI, Lieberman AP, Lipton RB, Logue M, Lopez OL, Lunetta KL, Lyketsos CG, Mains D, Margaret FE, Marson DC, Martin ERR, Martiniuk F, Mash DC, Masliah E, Massman P, Masurkar A, McCormick WC, McCurry SM, McDavid AN, McDonough S, McKee AC, Mesulam M, Miller BL, Miller CA, Miller JW, Montine TJ, Monuki ES, Morris JC, Mukherjee S, Myers AJ, Nguyen T, O'Bryant S, Olichney JM, Ory M, Palmer R, Parisi JE, Paulson HL, Pavlik V, Paydarfar D, Perez V, Peskind E, Petersen RC, Pierce A, Polk M, Poon WW, Potter H, Qu L, Quiceno M, Quinn JF, Raj A, Raskind M, Reiman EM, Reisberg B, Reisch JS, Ringman JM, Roberson ED, Rodriguear M, Rogaeva E, Rosen HJ, Rosenberg RN, Royall DR, Sager MA, Sano M, Saykin AJ, Schneider JA, Schneider LS, Seeley WW, Slifer SH, Small S, Smith AG, Smith JP, Sonnen JA, Spina S, St George-Hyslop P, Stern RA, Stevens AB, Strittmatter SM, Sultzer D, Swerdlow RH, Tanzi RE, Tilson JL, Trojanowski JQ, Troncoso JC, Tsuang DW, Van Deerlin VM, van Eldik LJ, Vance JM, Vardarajan BN, Vassar R, Vinters HV, Vonsattel JP, Weintraub S, Welsh-Bohmer KA, Whitehead PL, Wijsman EM, Wilhelmsen KC, Williams B, Williamson J, Wilms H, Wingo TS, Wisniewski T, Woltjer RL, Woon M, Wright CB, Wu CK, Younkin SG, Yu CE, Yu L, Zhu X, Kunkle BW, Bush WS, Wang LS, Farrer LA, Haines JL, Mayeux R, Pericak-Vance MA, Schellenberg GD, Jun GR, Reitz C, Naj AC. Multi-ancestry genome-wide meta-analysis of 56,241 individuals identifies LRRC4C, LHX5-AS1 and nominates ancestry-specific loci PTPRK , GRB14 , and KIAA0825 as novel risk loci for Alzheimer's disease: the Alzheimer's Disease Genetics Consortium. medRxiv. 2023 Jul 08. PMID: 37461624.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 6/20/2023
Daneshvar DH, Nair ES, Baucom ZH, Rasch A, Abdolmohammadi B, Uretsky M, Saltiel N, Shah A, Jarnagin J, Baugh CM, Martin BM, Palmisano JN, Cherry JD, Alvarez VE, Huber BR, Weuve J, Nowinski CJ, Cantu RC, Zafonte RD, Dwyer B, Crary JF, Goldstein LE, Kowall NW, Katz DI, Stern RA, Tripodis Y, Stein TD, McClean MD, Alosco ML, McKee AC, Mez J. Leveraging football accelerometer data to quantify associations between repetitive head impacts and chronic traumatic encephalopathy in males. Nat Commun. 2023 Jun 20; 14(1):3470. PMID: 37340004.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 5/10/2023
van Amerongen S, Kamps S, Kaijser KKM, Pijnenburg YAL, Scheltens P, Teunissen CE, Barkhof F, Ossenkoppele R, Rozemuller AJM, Stern RA, Hoozemans JJM, Vijverberg EGB. Severe CTE and TDP-43 pathology in a former professional soccer player with dementia: a clinicopathological case report and review of the literature. Acta Neuropathol Commun. 2023 May 10; 11(1):77. PMID: 37161501.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 3/6/2023
Alosco ML, Ly M, Mosaheb S, Saltiel N, Uretsky M, Tripodis Y, Martin B, Palmisano J, Delano-Wood L, Bondi MW, Meng G, Xia W, Daley S, Goldstein LE, Katz DI, Dwyer B, Daneshvar DH, Nowinski C, Cantu RC, Kowall NW, Stern RA, Alvarez VE, Mez J, Huber BR, McKee AC, Stein TD. Decreased myelin proteins in brain donors exposed to football-related repetitive head impacts. Brain Commun. 2023; 5(2):fcad019. PMID: 36895961.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 1/3/2023
Alosco ML, Barr WB, Banks SJ, Wethe JV, Miller JB, Pulukuri SV, Culhane J, Tripodis Y, Adler CH, Balcer LJ, Bernick C, Mariani ML, Cantu RC, Dodick DW, McClean MD, Au R, Mez J, Turner RW, Palmisano JN, Martin B, Hartlage K, Cummings JL, Reiman EM, Shenton ME, Stern RA. Neuropsychological test performance of former American football players. Alzheimers Res Ther. 2023 Jan 03; 15(1):1. PMID: 36597138.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 11/23/2022
Liang B, Alosco ML, Armañanzas R, Martin BM, Tripodis Y, Stern RA, Prichep LS. Long-Term Changes in Brain Connectivity Reflected in Quantitative Electrophysiology of Symptomatic Former National Football League Players. J Neurotrauma. 2023 Feb; 40(3-4):309-317. PMID: 36324216.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 10/21/2022
Morrison MS, Aparicio HJ, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, Ashton NJ, Karikari TK, Tripodis Y, Martin B, Palmisano JN, Sugarman MA, Frank B, Steinberg EG, Turk KW, Budson AE, Au R, Goldstein LE, Jun GR, Kowall NW, Killiany R, Qiu WQ, Stern RA, Mez J, McKee AC, Stein TD, Alosco ML. Ante-mortem plasma phosphorylated tau (181) predicts Alzheimer's disease neuropathology and regional tau at autopsy. Brain. 2022 Oct 21; 145(10):3546-3557. PMID: 35554506.
Read at: PubMed
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