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Reisa Sperling, M.D.
Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School
Department of Neurology, Brigham and Women's Hospital

MD, Harvard Medical School

221 Longwood Avenue
Boston, MA  02115


Phone: 617-525-8675
Fax: 617-264-5295
Location: BWH

DESCRIPTION OF WORK / BIOSKETCH

A. Personal Statement

I am a board certified neurologist who has been working in aging and AD imaging research for 15 years. My laboratory is focused on elucidating the neural underpinnings of memory loss in early Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and developing neuroimaging markers of progression in preclinical and prodromal stages of AD. My work includes multiple imaging modalities including functional and structural MRI and PET amyloid imaging.  I serve as the Director of the Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and the Director of the Neuroimaging Program at the Massachusetts Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC) at Massachusetts General Hospital. I also lead the AD clinical trials program across Brigham and Women's Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital.  I serve on the Steering committee of the Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study (ADCS), the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI), and the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network (DIAN), and have the honor of chairing the National Institute on Aging/Alzheimer’s Association Workgroup on Preclinical AD.


B. Positions and Honors

Positions and Employment:

1991-1992  Intern, Internal Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

1992-1994  Resident in Neurology, Harvard Longwood Neurology Training Program, Boston, MA

1994-1995  Chief Resident in Neurology, Harvard Longwood Neurology Training Program, Boston, MA

1995-1997  Clinical Fellow in Dementia and Behavioral Neurology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

1997-2002  Instructor in Neurology, Harvard Medical School

1997-1999  Clinical Investigator Training Program, Harvard/MIT Health Sciences and Technology

1997-  Associate Neurologist, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital,

2002-2006  Assistant Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School

2003-  Director of Clinical Research, Memory Disorders Unit, Brigham and Women’s Hospital

2004-  Director, Neuroimaging Program, Massachusetts ADRC, Massachusetts General Hospital

2007-  Associate Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School

2008-  Director, Center for Alzheimer Research and Treatment, Brigham and Women's Hospital 


Other Experience and Professional Memberships:

2002-2007  Editorial Board, Alzheimer’s Disease and Associated Disorders

2002-  Steering Committee, Alzheimer’s Disease Cooperative Study, National Institute on Aging

2003-2006  Chair, Medical-Scientific Advisory Committee, Massachusetts Chapter, Alzheimer’s Association

2005-  Steering Committee, Data and Publications, Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative

2007-  Standing Member; NIA-N Study Section; National Institutes on Aging

2008-2009  Co-Chair, Alzheimer’s Imaging Consortium, Program Committee, ICAD

2009-  American Academy of Neurology Research Council

2010-  Chair, NIA/Alzheimer’s Association Working Group on Preclinical Alzheimer’s disease


Honors:

1987  Magna Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, Columbia University

1991  Cum Laude, Honors in Special Field – Neuroscience, Harvard Medical School

1998  AAN Education and Research Foundation Clinical Research Training Fellowship 

1999  50th Anniversary in Medicine Award, Harvard Medical School

2003  New Project in Translational Neuroscience Award, Brigham Institute for the Neurosciences

2003  Paul Beeson Faculty Scholars in Aging Award, American Federation for Aging Research

2006  Memory Ride Award, Investigator Initiated Grant, Alzheimer’s Association

2007  Research Award in Geriatric Neurology, American Academy of Neurology

2010  Simons Lecture Awardee, Alzheimer’s Association


C. Selected Peer-reviewed Publications (selected from over 70 publications)

  1. Sperling RA, Bates JC, Cocchiarella AJ, Schacter D, Rosen B, Albert M.  Encoding novel face-name associations: A functional MRI study. Human Brain Mapping 2001;14(2):129-139.
  2. Sperling R, Greve D, Dale A, Kiliany R, Rosen R, Homes J, Rosas HD, Cocchiarella A, Firth P, Lange N, Routledge C, Albert M.  Functional MRI Detection of pharmacologically induced memory impairment. PNAS 2002; 99(1):455-460.
  3. Sperling RA, Bates J, Chua E, Cocchiarella A, Rentz D, Rosen B, Schacter DL, Albert MS. Functional MRI studies of associative encoding in elderly controls and mild AD patients. JNNP 2003;74:44-50.
  4. Dickerson BC, Salat D, Bates J, Atiya M, Killiany R, Greve D, Dale AM, Stern CE, Blacker D, Albert MS, Sperling RA. MRI measures of medial temporal lobe function and structure in questionable Alzheimer’s disease. Annals of Neurology, 2004; 56(1):27-35.
  5. Dickerson, BC, Salat D, Greve D, Chua E, Rand-Giovannetti E, Rentz D, Betram L, Mullin K, Tanzi R, Blacker D, Albert M, Sperling R. Increased hippocampal activation in mild cognitive impairment compared to normal aging and AD. Neurology 2005;65:404-411.
  6. Rand-Giovannetti E, Chua A, Driscoll A, Schacter D, Albert M, Sperling R. Hippocampus and neocortical activation during repetitive encoding in older persons. Neurobiology of Aging 2006; 27(1):173-182.
  7. Rentz DM, Sardinha L, Huh T, Daffner K, and Sperling RA.  IQ-based Norms for Highly Intelligent Adults. The Clinical Neuropsychologist 2006; 20(4):637-48.
  8. Celone KA, Calhoun VD, Dickerson B, Atri A, Chua EF, Miller S, DePeau K, Rentz DM, Selkoe D, Blacker D, Albert MS, Sperling RA. Alterations in memory networks in mild cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s   disease: An independent component analysis J Neuroscience 2006; 26 (40):10222-31.
  9. Chappell, AS, Gonzales, Williams, J, Witte, MM, Mohs, RC, Sperling, RA. AMPA potentiator treatment of cognitive deficits in Alzheimer disease. Neurology 2007; 68 1008-1012.
  10. Diamond EL, Miller S, Dickerson BC, Atri A, DePeau K, Fenstermacher E, Pihlajamäki M, Celone K,   Salisbury S, Gregas M, Rentz D, Sperling RA. Relationship of fMRI Activation to Clinical Trial Memory Measures in Alzheimer's Disease.  Neurology 2007;69(13):1331-41.
  11. Miller SL, Celone K, DePeau K, Diamond E, Dickerson BC, Rentz D, Pihlajamäki M, Sperling RA. Age-related memory impairment associated with loss of parietal deactivation but preserved hippocampal activation. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2008;105(6):2181-6. PMCID: PMC2538895.
  12. Buckner R, Sepulcre J, Talukdar T, Krienen F, Liu H, Hedden T, Andrews-Hanna J, Sperling R, Johnson K. Cortical Hubs Revealed by Intrinsic Functional Connectivity: J Neuroscience 2009; 29(6):1860-73. PMC2750039
  13. Sperling RA, LaViolette PS, O’Keefe K, et al.  Amyloid Deposition is Associated with Impaired Default Network Function in Older Persons without Dementia.  Neuron 2009; 63: 178-188. PMC2738994
  14. O'Brien JL, O'Keefe KM, LaViolette PS, DeLuca AN, Blacker D, Dickerson BC, Sperling RA. Longitudinal fMRI in elderly reveals loss of hippocampal activation with clinical decline. Neurology 2010;74(24):1969-76.
  15. Becker JA, Hedden T, Carmasin J, Maye J, Rentz D, Putcha D, Fischl B, Greve D, Marshall GA, Salloway S, Marks D, Buckner RL, Sperling RA, Johnson KA. Amyloid-beta Associated Cortical Thinning in Clinically Normal Elderly. Annals of Neurology, in press (available on line).


D. Research Support

Ongoing

P01AG036694-01  Sperling (PI)

07/15/10- 6/30/15  NIH/NIA

Impact of Amyloid on the Aging Brain

The overall goals of the PPG are to elucidate the biological significance of amyloid deposition in the aging brain and determine if cognitively normal older individuals are on the trajectory towards prodromal AD.

Role: Principal Investigator; Administrative and Clinical Core Leader, PI- Project 2


R01-AG027435 and R01-AG027435-S1  Sperling (PI)

05/01/06 – 01/31/12  NIH/NIA

Evolution of memory-related fMRI activation over the course of MCI and AD

The major goal of this study is to develop functional MRI as a biomarker for clinical trials and longitudinal studies of disease progression in MCI and AD. The goal of the supplement is to investigate relationship of amyloid deposition to memory dysfunction in MCI.

Role: Principal Investigator

 

P50 AG00513421  Hyman (PI) – Sperling (PL)

4/30/2009 - 3/31/2014  NIH/NIA

Massachusetts Alzheimer's Disease Research Center Neuroimaging Program and Project 1

The major goal of this project is to capture all ADRC related neuroimaging in an electronic database and provide support to ADRC related imaging projects.  Project 1 goal is to study cognitively normal older subjects participating in ADRC cohort with PiB and MRI imaging to investigate markers of prodromal AD.

Role: Principal Investigator- Project 1; NeuroImaging Program Leader

 

K24 AG035007  Sperling (PI)

10/1/10 – 9/30/15  NIH/NIA                             

Mentoring Imaging Research in Early AD

The overall goal of this Career Development Award is to provide support for mentoring early investigators training in clinical and imaging research in Alzheimer’s disease.

 

R01AG034556  (Buckner, PI)

7/1/09-6/30/14  NIH/NIA                        

Neural Processes Underlying Cognitive Aging

The major goal of this project is to investigate age-related changes in fronto-parietal large scale networks

Role: Co-Investigator

 

R01 AG037497-01  (K. Johnson, PI)

9/1/10-8/30/15  NIH/NIA                        

Characterizing the Evolution of Amyloid Deposition in Normal Elderly

The major goal of this project is to investigate the longitudinal pattern of amyloid accumulation in cognitively normal older subjects

Role: Co-Investigator

 

Investigator Foundation Grant  Sperling (PI)                          

12/15/08 - 12/14/11  NIH/NIA           

Fidelity Medical Foundation

Imaging and Biomarker Indicators of Prodromal Alzheimer's disease

This pilot project will investigate molecular, structural, and functional imaging markers and biofluid markers for prodromal AD in cognitively normal older individuals with evidence of amyloid pathology on PiB-PET.

Role: Principal Investigator

 

Investigator Foundation Grant - Sperling (PI)

10/1/10 – 9/30/13  AHAF             

American Health Assistance Foundation – Alzheimer’s grant program

Cholinergic vulnerability in amyloid positive elderly

The overall goal of this Foundation grant is to determine if older individuals with high amyloid burden will demonstrate heightened vulnerability to anticholinergic medication and associated brain dysfunction.

 

U01-AG024904  Weiner (PI) / Sperling (Site PI)

12/01/04 – 11/30/15  NIH /NIA

Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI)

The objective of the study is to develop and validate neuroimaging, neuropsychological measures, and biomarkers for clinical trials of disease-modifying agents in MCI and AD.

Role: Site Principal Investigator; Steering Committee, Data and Publications Committee

 

U01AG032438  (Morris PI/Sperling Site PI)

10/1/08 – 6/30/14  NIH/NIA

Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer Network                                                                                                       

The goal of this cooperative study is to establish an international network studying autosomal dominant genetic risk for AD, with PiB-PET, MRI, and CSF biomarkers.

Role: Site Principal Investigator, Steering Committee

 

R01AG029411  Dickerson (PI)

09/15/07 - 06/30/12  NIH/NIA

Medial temporal lobe subregions in aging, MCI and AD: Structural and functional MRI

The primary goal of this project is to determine whether MTL-subregion-specific functional changes can be found in PreMCI before structural changes are detected.

Role: Co-Investigator

 

Corporate Sponsored Research  Sperling (PI)

09/01/09 – 3/01/11  Bristol-Myers-Squibb     

A Multicenter, Randomized, Study of BMS-708163 in the Treatment of Patients With Prodromal AD.

The major goal of this Phase II trial of a gamma-secretase is to investigate the effects of lowering amyloid production in prodromal AD.  This trial has a PET amyloid imaging component, and a site-specific functional MRI add to assess the effects of decreasing amyloid burden on functional connectivity.

Role: Site Principal Investigator


Sponsored  Multi-Center Trial  Marshall (PI)

07/1/06 - 12/1/11  Elan Pharmaceuticals

Phase II/III study of AAB-001 in patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s Disease.

The major goal of the Phase II study is to examine the safety, pharmacokinetics, and efficacy of this monoclonal antibody to beta-amyloid in AD patients.

Role: Site Principal Investigator transitioned to co-Investigator


Completed

Investigator Initiated Research Grant  Sperling (PI)

11/01/06 – 10/31/09  Alzheimer’s Association

The primary goal of this study is to investigate the relationship of amyloid deposition to fMRI activation in subjects with mild cognitive impairment.

Role:  Principal Investigator






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