Person looking into a microscope

Department of Brain Health News

The UNLV Department of Brain Health will advance research, education, and practice to benefit brain health and the care and treatment of people with brain disorders across the life span. Our faculty specialize in several areas that range from basic and clinical research in neurodegenerative disease, neuropsychology, and occupational therapy.

Current Brain Health News

Closeup of a hand holding a model brain
Research | May 25, 2023

Annual review of current Alzheimer’s clinical trials reveals trends in design, therapies, outcomes, and funding surrounding work to develop new treatments.
 

animation of human surrounded by dna strands while holding stomach with intestines highlighted
Research | May 11, 2023

UNLV study pinpoints 10 bacterial groups associated with Alzheimer’s disease, provides new insights into the relationship between gut makeup and dementia.

two portraits, 1 man and 1 woman
Campus News | May 8, 2023

The 34-student cohort hopes to make immediate impact in patients’ lives and the profession in Las Vegas.

A student adjusts the arm of another student playing a computer game.
Campus News | April 21, 2023

 A UNLV occupational therapy student takes a unique approach for his capstone project.

UNLV letters surrounded by roses
Campus News | March 17, 2023

A roundup of news stories highlighting UNLV faculty and students who made headlines locally, nationally, and globally.

students finding accessible ways to do laundry
Campus News | February 7, 2023

Opportunities for hands-on fieldwork and Nevada's dire need for providers results in encouraging job outlook for graduates.

Brain Health In The News

Psychology Today
June 2, 2023

Several studies say simple lifestyle choices help preserve thinking and memory.

Fierce Biotech
May 31, 2023

There are, at this moment, 187 clinical trials for the neurodegenerative disease underway, the highest ever on record, according to a new report from the Alzheimer’s Association (AA). The research was published in the association’s journal, Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Translational Research and Clinical Interventions, last week, featuring data scraped from the ClinicalTrials.gov database.

Malaya Business Insight
May 30, 2023

The health of your microbiome (gut bacterial flora) can affect your overall health. Past research has shown the correlation between microbiomes and diseases like Alzheimer’s and other form of dementia. Recently, clinical investigators from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas identified 10 specific types of bacteria in the gut of individuals linked with the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Psychology Today
May 25, 2023

According to the World Health Organization, Alzheimer's is one of our most debilitating diseases. It effectively erases who you are, insinuating itself at first with annoyance, then anger, then fright, and finally silence. It can take 20 years to play out, exhausting caregivers, family, and friends.

Medical Xpress
May 25, 2023

More than 6 million Americans are living with Alzheimer's disease, a staggering number that's expected to double within the next 30 years.

The Health Standard Newswire
May 24, 2023

New research is showing that an abundance of certain specific types of gut bacteria could be associated with the likelihood of developing Alzheimer's disease.

Brain Health Experts

A renowned expert on Alzheimer's Disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. 
A national expert in mindfulness-based occupational therapy and mental health.
An expert in behavioral neuroscience with concentrations in Alzheimer's disease and schizophrenia.
An international expert on neurodegenerative diseases and brain health.

Recent Brain Health Accomplishments

May 1, 2023
Elizabeth Lawrence (Sociology), Samantha John (Brain Health), and Tirth Bhatta (Sociology) published an article, "Urbanicity and Cognitive Functioning in Later Life," in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia: Diagnosis, Assessment & Disease Monitoring.
August 31, 2022
Doctoral student Rachel DeWald (Psychology, Brain Health) received the Spring 2022 cover artwork award for the Spectra Undergraduate Research Journal. The Office of Undergraduate Research solicits student submissions for the award to have a student-designed cover for each spring and fall issue. The competitive award intends to foster student…
May 10, 2022
Dr. Jeffrey Cummings (Brain Health) released the fifth annual Alzheimer’s Disease Drug Development Pipeline: 2022 publication. The paper reviews the current pipeline of drugs in clinical trials for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease (AD). It examines an updated view of clinical trials, new drugs, and offers a future outlook on drug development…
October 14, 2021
Kristine Bragg, Gwen Marchand, Jonathan Hilpert (all Educational Psychology and Higher Education), and Jeffrey Cummings (Brain Health) recently published the manuscript, "Using Bibliometrics to Evaluate Outcomes and Influence of Translational Biomedical Research Centers" in the Journal of Clinical and Translational Science.
September 8, 2021
Ryan Wirt, Lauren Crew Andrew Ortiz, and Emmanuel Flores (all Neuroscience), Jefferson Kinney (Brain Health), and James Hyman (Psychology) published an article in Communications Biology entitled "Altered theta rhythm and hippocampal-cortical interactions underlie working memory deficits in a hyperglycemia risk factor model of Alzheimer’s disease…
August 13, 2021
Samantha John (DBrain Health) and colleagues published an investigation of two novel smartphone applications that were developed to assess cognitive functioning, "Examination of the reliability and feasibility of two smartphone applications to assess executive functioning in racially diverse older adults." The manuscript, published in the journal …