The Vanderbilt Center for Cognitive Medicine is a multidisciplinary research hub dedicated to understanding and addressing disruptions in cognition and cognitive processes that underlie neuropsychiatric disorders. The center focuses on the cognitive changes associated with aging, particularly in conditions like Alzheimer’s disease, late-life depression, Down syndrome, and cancer, as well as the cognitive and neural dimensions of schizophrenia.
To advance its mission, the center integrates cutting-edge approaches from cellular and molecular biology, cognitive neuroscience, neuroimaging, pharmacological discovery, and clinical investigation. By developing rigorous human translational experimental models, the center explores mechanistic hypotheses and creates innovative therapeutic strategies for neuropsychiatric disorders.
A major emphasis is placed on Alzheimer’s disease, with a robust clinical trials program aimed at treatment and prevention. The center is a core member of the Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials Consortium (ACTC), serves as a site for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) and the ACTC Down Syndrome Consortium. Additionally, the center leads a specialized treatment program for late-life depression.
Collaboration is central to the center’s success. It partners with leading programs at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Vanderbilt University, including the Vanderbilt Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, the Warren Center for Neuroscience Drug Discovery, the Vanderbilt Kennedy Center, and the Vanderbilt University Institute for Imaging Sciences.
The center also has a strong commitment to education and training. In partnership with the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, the Vanderbilt Brain Institute, and the Neuroscience Graduate Program, it trains the next generation of scientists and clinicians. The center mentors undergraduate neuroscience and psychology students and provides specialized training for geriatric psychiatry fellows through the Division of Geriatric Psychiatry. These efforts foster innovation and leadership in the field of cognitive medicine.