Dr. Karlsson has board certifications in both general psychiatry and child and adolescent psychiatry. Her clinical and research focus is in the treatment of individuals with autism, developmental disorders and other neuropsychiatric conditions throughout the lifespan. She is the founder and director of the Down Syndrome Psychiatric Specialty Clinic at the IU Neurosciences Center, serving both children and adults, with a specific focus on regression and catatonia in Down Syndrome.
Liana G. Apostolova, MD, MSc, FAAN
Dr. Apostolova’s research focuses on the early symptomatic and presymptomatic stages of Alzheimer’s disease and on the development and validation of sensitive imaging and genetic biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementing disorders. Dr. Apostolova is the Principal Investigator of the Longitudinal Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease Study (LEADS) – a multisite national consortium focused on early-onset AD, a rare form of Alzheimer’s that affects middle-aged individuals.
Alan J. Lerner, MD
Dr. Lerner is a graduate of the New York State College of Agriculture and Life Science at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY and Cornell University Medical School in New York City. He completed an internship in Internal Medicine at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City. He then completed a Residency in Neurology (1988-1991) and Fellowship in Behavioral Neurology at University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University (1991-1993). He is currently Director of the Brain Health and Memory Center at the Neurological Institute of University Hospitals Case Medical Center. He holds the Neurological Institute endowed chair in memory and cognition, and is Professor of Neurology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. He is one of the founders of the Cleveland Brain Health Initiative and a member of the executive committee.
Dr. Lerner is a Behavioral Neurologist with almost three decades experience in treating memory disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, aging in Down Syndrome and related disorders. He is active in conducting clinical research studies focusing on new diagnostics and treatments for Alzheimer’s disease, and other dementias. Current studies include new dementia prevention studies both by risk factor reduction and use of experimental medications. He represents CWRU on the steering committees of the Alzheimer’s Clinical Trials Consortium and the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging initiative. The clinical research site at University Hospitals is actively working with the Global Alzheimer’s Platform to promote Brain Health in diverse communities, and accelerate clinical trials in Alzheimer’s disease. His clinical practice is focused on diagnosis and treatment of dementia and behavioral disorders. He has written published extensively in the areas of general Neurology, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias.
Jeremy Pizzola
Jeremy Pizzola is the co-Director of the ACTC Administration Unit. The Admin Unit is responsible for decisions involving policy, priority of work, allocation of resources and personnel, and provides the necessary oversight to ensure adherence to applicable policies, regulations, and SOPs. The co-Director oversees essential components of the Admin Unit include Regulatory Affairs, Fiscal Managements, Contracts, Human Resources, and Quality Assurance (QA).
David S. Geldmacher, MD, FACP
David S. Geldmacher, MD, FACP is Co-Chair of the ACTC Site Metrics and Study Budgets Committee (SBSMC) and a Site Member PI on the ACTC Steering Committee. He holds the Warren Family Endowed Chair in Neurology. He is Director of the Division of Memory Disorders and Behavioral Neurology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He serves as Medical Director for Neurology at the University of Alabama (UAB) Hospital.
His research has centered on testing new dementia treatments and understanding the meaningfulness of treatment outcomes for affected people and their families. His other research interests include complex visual processing in aging and neurological conditions.
Dr. Geldmacher is the author of Contemporary Diagnosis and Management of Alzheimer’s Dementia, and has published over 100 research articles, chapters, abstracts and reviews.
He is a Fellow of both the American College of Physicians and the American Neurological Association. He has been elected as a member of the Alpha Omega Alpha medical honor society and has been listed in Best Doctors in America since 1998.
Dr. Geldmacher graduated magna cum laude from the University of Rochester (New York) with his B.A. in Biology and Psychology. He obtained his M.D (with Certificate in Academic Research) from the State University of New York – Health Science Center at Syracuse. He trained in Neurology at Case Western Reserve University and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in Behavioral Neurology at the University of Florida.
Laura Baker, PhD
Dr. Baker is co-chair of the ACTC Non-Pharmacological Interventions Committee, and leads the Inclusion/Diversity Committee of the Recruitment Unit.
Dr. Baker is also lead co-Principal Investigator of U.S. POINTER, and co-PI of the U.S. POINTER Coordinating Center at Wake Forest School of Medicine. She is also PI, co-PI, or Project Director of three other large national studies focused on Alzheimer’s prevention, including the Women’s Health Initiative Sleep Hypoxia Effects on Resilience (WHISPER) study, the COcoa Supplement and Multivitamin Outcomes Study for the Mind (COSMOS-Mind), and Aerobic Exercise to Slow Cognitive Decline in Mild Cognitive Impairment (EXERT). She has held leadership positions for numerous NIH multi-site clinical studies (ADAPT, ADAPT-FS, Look AHEAD, WHIMS-ECHO, WHIMS-Y), and have been an investigator of over 50 clinical trials focused on aging, mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease, which has resulted in over 75 first- or co-authored publications. She is Associate Director of the NIA Alzheimer’s Disease Core Center at Wake Forest School of Medicine, and Leader of the Center’s Outreach and Recruitment Core and Research Education Component Core. In addition to her research, her work also focuses on increasing racial and ethnic diversity in AD clinical studies, and recently served on the NIA/Alzheimer’s Association National taskforce to develop new strategies for recruitment and retention in Alzheimer prevention and treatment trials.
