James Mastrianni, MD, PhD

James Mastrianni, MD, PhD, is an expert in memory disorders and other neurodegenerative conditions. Working on a team of geriatricians, neurologists and neuropsychologists, Dr. Mastrianni provides diagnostic evaluation and long-term management of patients with Alzheimer's disease and related dementias. In a special clinic, he also evaluates patients referred to him with atypical dementias, which are unusual dementias for which a clear diagnosis cannot yet be determined. In addition to providing effective care for these patients, Dr. Mastrianni and his colleagues conduct clinical and basic science research to better understand and treat neurodegenerative diseases.

One of Dr. Mastrianni's research projects, funded by a $1.5 million National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant, focuses on understanding animal and human prion diseases, which are progressive and infectious neurodegenerative disorders, such as mad cow disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Prion diseases share many similarities with more common neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson’s disease, and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Therefore, Dr. Mastrianni’s studies aimed at understanding and correcting the underlying defect in prion diseases may likely help researchers to better understand these more common diseases, as well.

In another collaborative study, Dr. Mastrianni uses cognitive screening assessments combined with advanced brain imaging to predict whether individuals with mild memory problems will develop Alzheimer’s disease in the future.

An accomplished author, Dr. Mastrianni has published more than 40 scientific articles, as well as several book chapters and reviews. He is an invited contributor for Neurology, Journal Watch Neurology, Genetics in Medicine, Trends in Molecular Medicine, and other prestigious medical journals. Dr. Mastrianni is the recipient of many awards and honors. Recently, he was named the Helen M. McLoraine Neuroscience Investigator of the Brain Research Foundation and was appointed as an expert reviewer for the ECRI Institute of the U.S. Agency for Health Care Research and Quality. He has been reappointed to a neuroscience advisory committee of the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA). Also a dedicated educator, Dr. Mastrianni teaches and mentors students, residents, and doctoral and post-doctoral students.