NOVEMBER 8, 2024 — The Alzheimer's Association announces the election of Oscar Lopez, M.D., from Pittsburgh to its Board of Directors.

Dr. Lopez joins the 24-member, volunteer governing board in steering the strategic direction of the Association as it carries out its mission to lead the way to end Alzheimer’s and all other dementia — by accelerating global research, driving risk reduction and early detection, and maximizing quality care and support.

Dr. Lopez is a professor of Neurology, Psychiatry, and Clinical and Translational Sciences at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He is the Levidow-Pittsburgh Foundation Endowed Chair in Alzheimer's Disease and Dementia Disorders, and chief of the Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology Division. In addition, he is currently the director of the University of Pittsburgh Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.

Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Lopez’s research has focused on incidence/prevalence, behavioral symptoms, risks and long-term outcomes of dementia, especially Alzheimer’s disease. He has conducted large-scale studies in the clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease and vascular dementia and multiple studies on the refinement of the clinical criteria for Alzheimer's disease and other dementias.

He created The Brain Training and Exercise (BRiTE) Wellness Program, a novel integrated, non-pharmacological, multimodal program to promote brain health in cognitively impaired individuals. It incorporates a model of access to non-pharmacological interventions to individuals in the greater Pittsburgh community who would otherwise not be able to participate in such a program due to either limited finances or the need to continue working past retirement age.

“We are entering a new era of scientific advances in Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. For the first time we have effective disease-modifying treatments and have the availability of biomarkers that can help to diagnose the disease with great precision,” Dr. Lopez said. “The Alzheimer’s Association is at the center of these revolutionary times by stimulating top-notch research and advancing public policies to improve the lives of patients and families affected by Alzheimer’s disease. I feel profoundly privileged to serve as a member of the Alzheimer’s Association Board of Directors.”

Dr. Lopez will serve a two-year term on the Alzheimer’s Association Board.

“We are pleased to welcome Dr. Lopez to the Alzheimer’s Association Board of Directors,” said Minoo Javanmardian, Ph.D., chair, Alzheimer’s Association Board of Directors. “His expertise, background, and passion for our mission will be invaluable for all communities as we work together in pursuit of the Association’s vision of a world without Alzheimer’s and all other dementia.”

Dr. Lopez received his M.D. from the University of La Plata in Argentina and completed his residency at Rivadavia Hospital, followed by his fellowship at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Nearly 7 million Americans are living with Alzheimer’s disease, according to the Alzheimer’s Association 2024 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report, including more than 282,000 in Pennsylvania. Alzheimer’s is a leading cause of death in the United States and one in three seniors dies with Alzheimer’s or another dementia.

The Alzheimer’s Association is the largest Alzheimer’s advocacy organization in the world. The Alzheimer’s Association advocates for the needs and rights of people facing Alzheimer’s disease and all other dementia. The Association is driving policymakers in Washington, D.C. and across the country to take historic steps to address the growing Alzheimer’s public health crisis. The Association’s efforts have secured robust increases for Alzheimer's and dementia research funding at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and critical legislation, such as the National Alzheimer’s Project Act to make a positive and meaningful impact on people living with Alzheimer's and their caregivers.

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