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. For the past 16 years, the primary focus of my research has been the long-term consequences of repetitive mild traumatic brain injuries (symptomatic concussions and more frequent asymptomatic subconcussive or nonconcussive trauma), including the neurodegenerative disease, CTE. Along with a superb group of collaborators at BU and elsewhere, I have been conducting research involving: clinicopathological correlation in CTE; the examination of risk and resilience factors (e.g., genetic, head impact exposure, cognitive reserve, and importantly, racial disparities and social determinants of health) for CTE; the assessment of potential fluid and neuroimaging biomarkers for the detection, diagnosis, and monitoring of CTE; and the development of diagnostic criteria for Traumatic Encephalopathy Syndrome, the clinical syndrome associated with CTE neuropathology. I was the Contact mPI for the original DIAGNOSE CTE Research Project (U01NS093334; other mPIs, Drs. Cummings, Reiman, and Shenton) and I am an mPI (other mPIs, Drs. Alosco, Reiman, and Rabinovici) on the NINDS-funded DIAGNOSE CTE Research Project-II (R01NS139383). I was the PI of the NINDS-funded R01 grant (the first grant funded by NIH focused on CTE) for the DETECT Study. I was also the PI of an NINDS/NIA R01 grant examining these issues in female and male former soccer players as well as former American football players in the HITSS project (Dr. Alosco transitioned to PI one year ago). From 2010-2019, I was the Clinical Core Leader of the BU Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC); I stepped down from that position in 2019 to focus on my CTE-related research, though I remain a Senior Investigator for the BU ADRC. I have served as the site PI on several multi-center NIH- and industry-sponsored clinical trials for treating and preventing Alzheimer’s disease (AD). I have published extensively on the use of various neuropsychological tests and novel biomarkers in the differential diagnosis of AD and AD Related Dementias (ADRD). I have been a member of medical advisory boards/committees for Biogen and several other biotech and pharmaceutical companies and foundations, regarding assessment and diagnostic issues in AD, including improving cognitive screening in primary care medicine. I am a clinical neuropsychologist with a specialty in evaluating and diagnosing cognitive disorders, including those from AD and other neurodegenerative diseases. I have also been honored to work with countless patients and their caregivers as they navigate through the complex journey with dementia. In addition, I have developed several commonly used clinical tests and instruments, including the Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (NAB), the Visual Analog Mood Scales (VAMS), and the Boston Qualitative Scoring System (BQSS) for the Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure. I have had leadership positions in several research centers and training programs and have mentored over 40 fellows and other trainees. Although I transitioned to working half-time in December 2023, I remain active, committed, and passionate about my current research and academic responsibilities.
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 2/25/2025
Alosco ML, Mejía Pérez J, Culhane JE, Shankar R, Nowinski CJ, Bureau S, Mundada N, Smith K, Amuiri A, Asken B, Groh JR, Miner A, Pettway E, Mosaheb S, Tripodis Y, Windon C, Mercier G, Stern RA, Grinberg LT, Soleimani-Meigooni DN, Christian BT, Betthauser TJ, Stein TD, McKee AC, Mathis CA, Abrahamson EE, Ikonomovic MD, Johnson SC, Mez J, La Joie R, Schonhaut D, Rabinovici GD. 18F-MK-6240 tau PET in patients at-risk for chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Mol Neurodegener. 2025 Feb 25; 20(1):23. PMID: 39994806.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 1/26/2025
Altaras C, Ly MT, Schultz O, Barr WB, Banks SJ, Wethe JV, Tripodis Y, Adler CH, Balcer LJ, Bernick C, Zetterberg H, Blennow K, Ashton N, Peskind E, Cantu RC, Coleman MJ, Lin AP, Koerte IK, Bouix S, Daneshvar D, Dodick DW, Geda YE, Katz DL, Weller JL, Mez J, Palmisano JN, Martin B, Cummings JL, Reiman EM, Shenton ME, Stern RA, Alosco ML. Dispersion-based cognitive intra-individual variability in former American football players: Association with traumatic encephalopathy syndrome, repetitive head impacts, and biomarkers. Clin Neuropsychol. 2025 Jan 26; 1-29. PMID: 39865747.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 1/20/2025
Asken BM, Brett BL, Barr WB, Banks S, Wethe JV, Dams-O'Connor K, Stern RA, Alosco ML. Chronic traumatic encephalopathy: State-of-the-science update and narrative review. Clin Neuropsychol. 2025 Jan 20; 1-25. PMID: 39834035.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 1/20/2025
Ly MT, Altaras C, Tripodis Y, Adler CH, Balcer LJ, Bernick C, Zetterberg H, Blennow K, Peskind ER, Banks SJ, Barr WB, Wethe JV, Lenio S, Bondi MW, Delano-Wood LM, Cantu RC, Coleman MJ, Dodick DW, Mez J, Daneshvar DH, Palmisano JN, Martin B, Lin AP, Koerte IK, Bouix S, Cummings JL, Reiman EM, Shenton ME, Stern RA, Alosco ML. Single- versus two-test criteria for cognitive impairment: associations with CSF and imaging markers in former American football players. Clin Neuropsychol. 2025 Jan 20; 1-25. PMID: 39834028.
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 10/3/2024
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 Oct 03; 147(10):3596-3610. PMID: 38533783.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 10/1/2024
Miner AE, Groh JR, Tripodis Y, Adler CH, Balcer LJ, Bernick C, Zetterberg H, Blennow K, Peskind E, Ashton NJ, Gaudet CE, Martin B, Palmisano JN, Banks SJ, Barr WB, Wethe JV, Cantu RC, Dodick DW, Katz DI, Mez J, van Amerongen S, Cummings JL, Shenton ME, Reiman EM, Stern RA, Alosco ML. Examination of plasma biomarkers of amyloid, tau, neurodegeneration, and neuroinflammation in former elite American football players. Alzheimers Dement. 2024 Nov; 20(11):7529-7546. PMID: 39351900.
Read at: PubMed - Published on 9/22/2024
Groh JR, Yhang E, Tripodis Y, Palminsano J, Martin B, Burke E, Bhatia U, Mez J, Stern RA, Gunstad J, Alosco ML. Health outcomes of former division I college athletes. Brain Inj. 2025 Jan 28; 39(2):88-98. PMID: 39306858.
Read at: PubMed - 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
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