Rachel Whitmer Lab

Whitmer Lab

Leveraging population science and epidemiology to inform brain health and lower risk of cognitive impairment and dementia

Professor Rachel Whitmer

Professor Rachel Whitmer is an epidemiologist with a passion for identifying modifiable risk factors for brain health and dementia in diverse populations which have previously been underrepresented in population-based research.

She is a professor in the UC Davis Department of Public Health Sciences and Chief of the Division of Epidemiology and Co-Director of the UC Davis Alzheimer's Disease Center.

Whitmer's Population Lab Presents at AAIC 2023

Latest News

NPR: Stress And Poverty May Explain High Rates Of Dementia In African-Americans

by Victoria Sharpnack
July 17, 2020

Health Disparities

This interview originally aired on WBUR's Here & Now on July 17, 2020

Older Black people are at higher risk for Alzheimer's disease and other causes of dementia. Some research suggests racism is one of the factors behind that increased risk.

Researchers Explain Why Black Americans Are At Higher Risk For Alzheimer's

by Victoria Sharpnack
June 24, 2020

Health Disparities

The Alzheimer's epidemic no one is talking about

Originally published by Oprah Magazine June 24, 2020 authored by Meghan Rabbitt

Six years ago, Veronica Shanklin showed up at her childhood home in DeSoto, Texas, expecting a typical visit. Shanklin’s grandmother, who’d been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease at age 82, had moved in with Shanklin’s mom a few years earlier. Shanklin, a marketing executive in Chicago, wanted to spend some time with them and was also eager to help with caretaking for a few days; she was sure her mom, then 66, could use a break.

US POINTER Study comes to UC Davis with Whitmer Lab

by Victoria Sharpnack
August 23, 2019

Lifecourse Epidemiology

The Alzheimer’s Association gave $6 million to the University of California, Davis, to fund its participation in a landmark study that will look at whether older adults can ward off deterioration in their memory and thinking by adopting particular lifestyle changes, the university announced Thursday.