Dr. Roger A. Dixon
Biographical Background
Current Position
Department of Psychology (Science)
Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute (FoMD)
University of Alberta
Previous Positions
University of Victoria
Max Planck Institute, Berlin
Previous Visiting Appointments
Äldrecentrum, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm
Stanford Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences
Advanced Degrees
University of Chicago
Penn State University
RAD, Photo: John Ulan
Contact Information:
Mailing Address
Department of Psychology
P-217 Biological Sciences Bldg
University of Alberta
Edmonton, AB
Canada T6G 2E9
Research and Opportunities
Victoria Longitudinal Study (VLS)
Role: Director and Principal Investigator
VLS Headquarters and Lab: University of Alberta
Satellite Lab: University of Victoria
Overview: A long-term (20+ years) and large-scale longitudinal and epidemiological investigation of biomedical, health, genetic, biological, metabolic, lifestyle, reserve/resilience, demographic, and environmental risk and protective factors influencing
brain and cognitive trajectories toward and away from decline, impairment, and neurodegenerative disease.
Funding: National Institutes of Health (National Institute on Aging) and other partners.
Website: https://sites.ualberta.ca/~vlslab/
Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA)
Roles: Co-Lead Biomarkers Team and Biosamples Platform
CCNA Research Executive Committee
Overview: Cross-national observational study deeply phenotyping older adults with multiple types of complaints, impairment, neurodegenerative disease, and dementia. Important goals are to understand how neurodegenerative diseases develop and what can be done to delay or prevent them.
Biomarker Data: Includes clinical, core biomarkers, neuro-imaging, genetics, cognitive battery, neurophysiological, functional, dementia risk, and derived omics panels.
Cohorts: Cohorts include Cognitively Normal, Subjective Cognitive Impairment,
Mild Cognitive Impairment, Vascular Disease, Mild Alzheimer's Disease, Mixed Etiology,
Lewy Body/Parkinson's Disease, and Frontotemporal Dementia.
Biomarkers Team Funding: Alberta Innovates in partnership with
Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Website: https://ccna-ccnv.ca/
SynAD: Promoting Synergies in Alzheimer's Disease and Related Dementias at the University of Alberta
Role: Principal Investigator
Team: Co-PIs: Drs. Jack Jhamandas, Satya Kar, Simonetta Sipione, David Westaway
Co-Is: Drs. Richard Camicioli, Elena Posse de Chaves, Valerie Sim
Program: Three main initiatives for enhancing research in ADRD:
Catalyst Grants, Equipment Grants, and Trainee Funding
Funding: Alzheimer Society of Alberta and Northwest Territories
University Hospital Foundation
Institutional Partner: Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute
National Partners: Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging
Campus Alberta Neuroscience
Website: http://sites.psych.ualberta.ca/SynAD/
Selected Current Professional Activities
Endowed Chair
Canada Research Chair in Cognitive Aging
Tier 1: 2003-2010; 2010-2017
University of Alberta
Principal Investigator
VLS Research Grant (R01 AG008235)
National Institutes of Health (National Institute on Aging)
Website: https://sites.ualberta.ca/~vlslab/
Principal Investigator
SynAD Alberta
Website: http://sites.psych.ualberta.ca/SynAD/
Steering Committee
Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute
University of Alberta
Research Executive Committee
Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA)
Co-Leader (with P. Bellec)
Biomarkers Team
Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA)
Co-Leader
Campus Alberta Neuroscience
Healthy Brain Aging and Dementia Group
Website: http://www.albertaneuro.ca/
Co-Investigator
Co-Organizer
International Conference on Promoting Healthy Brain Aging
and Preventing Dementia: Research and Translation
Banff, AB, June 2016; 2018; Lake Louise, AB, May 2021
Website: http://can-healthybrains.com/
Founder and Coordinator
Alberta Cognitive Neuroscience Group (ACN)
Website: https://sites.ualberta.ca/~acn/
Co-PI (with GP McFall) on Research Grants:
Selected Recent Professional Activities
President
Division of Adult Development and Aging
American Psychological Association
Recognitions
Review Board
Chair or Co-Chair
Member
Recent Invited Talks
Australia, Canada, China, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Sweden, UK, USA
Co-Organizer
US National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine
Conference on Alternative Pathways for Alzheimer's Disease
Colleagues and Contexts
Mentors
Paul B. Baltes (Max Planck Institute)
John R. Nesselroade (University of Virginia)
Active or Long-term Collaborators
Shea Andrews (Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, NYC)
Kaarin Anstey (University of New South Wales and Neuroscience Research Australia (NeuRA))
Lars Bäckman (Karolinska Institutet, Sweden)
Pierre Bellec (Université de Montréal)
Richard Camicioli (University of Alberta)
Jeremy Caplan (University of Alberta)
Florin Dolcos (Beckman Institute, University of Illinois)
Sanda Dolcos (Psychology, University of Illinois)
Cindy de Frias (University of Texas)
Christopher Hertzog (Georgia Institute of Technology)
David F. Hultsch (University of Victoria)
Jack Jhamandas (University of Alberta)
Margie Lachman (Brandeis University)
Liang Li (University of Alberta)
Stuart MacDonald (University of Victoria)
Jack McArdle (University of Southern California)
G. Peggy McFall (University of Alberta)
Lars-Göran Nilsson (Stockholm University)
Shraddha Sapkota (Hurvitz Brain Sciences Centre, University of Toronto)
Brent Small (University of South Florida)
Esther Strauss (University of Victoria)
Åke Wahlin (Jönköping University, Sweden)
David Westaway (University of Alberta)
Sandra Wiebe (University of Alberta)
Photos
Photo Collection (click to view a small collection of photos, including people,
the local area, and the Rocky Mountains.)
©2023 Roger Dixon