Professor Rachel Whitmer
Professor Rachel Whitmer is a scientist with the mission of a lifetime of brain health for all. Her work drives discovery of risk and resilience factors for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, and cognitive aging. She was the first to identify the contribution of early life cardiometabolic and behavioral factors on risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease:
- Heavy Smoking in Midlife and Long-term Risk of Alzheimer Disease and Vascular Dementia
- Obesity in Middle Age and Future Risk of Dementia: A 27 Year Longitudinal Population Based Study
- Midlife Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Risk of Dementia in Late Life
In addition, she was the first to identify the role of acute complications of diabetes mellitus on dementia risk. One of her current primary focuses is on the impact of multidomain lifestyle changes on brain health as one of the leaders of the US POINTER Study, a landmark intervention trial. Professor Whitmer is ranked in the top .05% worldwide for dementia science.
She is a Tenured Professor and Vice Chair of Research in the UC Davis Department of Public Health Sciences and Neurology, and Co-Director of the UC Davis Alzheimer's Disease Center.
