Leadership and Administrative Core (LAC)

The Scientific Theme of Mass-ENVISION is the developing, testing and implementing of scientifically rigorous behavioral health interventions for persons with ADRD (Alzheimer disease and related dementias) and their care partners in hospital and community settings. The central purpose of the Mass-ENVISION LAC is to provide the overall infrastructure and the scientific and intellectual leadership of the translational, interdisciplinary, collaborative, and investigator development functions that are expected of an Alzheimer’s-related RCMAR.

The Leadership and Administrative Core (LAC) will provide the overall leadership, supervision and infrastructure for Mass-ENVISION to fulfill its mission through completion of 3 Specific Aims: 

Aim 1. Establishing the leadership, infrastructure and community to support the ADRD Scientific Theme.

Aim 2. Rigorous training and career development for RCMAR Scientists in the ADRD Scientific Theme.

Aim 3. Evaluating success of the RCMAR and of RCMAR Scientists trained in the ADRD Scientific Theme.

  • Olivia Okereke MD

    Core Lead

    Dr. Okereke is Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, Associate Professor in Epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (HSPH), Director of Geriatric Psychiatry at MGH, and Director of the MGH Psychiatry Center for Racial Equity and Justice. Her research is focused on identifying modifiable risk factors in adverse mental aging, prevention, and community-engaged research for promotion of equity and reduction of health disparities.

    Dr. Okereke has been an NIH-funded PI since 2008, has been co-investigator of the Clinical Core the MADRC NIA P50/P30 grant since 2004, is PI or co-investigator of several NIH-funded ADRD-related grants, is a past PI of an Alzheimer’s Association New Investigator Research Grant, and is currently the primary Mentor for an Alzheimer’s Association Clinician Scientist Development award recipient. She also serves on 2 T32 (mentor) and 2 R25 (Steering Committee and mentor) NIH grants. She has been widely recognized as an expert in ADRD, including invitations as a Speaker Panelist at an NIA Geroscience Summit and service as a standing member (2013-2019 term) for the APDA (Adult Psychopathology and Disorders of Aging) NIH study section that frequently reviews ADRD-related applications.

    Finally, she been extensively involved in organizational leadership and community volunteering and education in ADRD over the past two decades, including past service as a Director on the Board of the Alzheimer’s Association MA/NH Chapter (reached 6-year term limit) and as a member and Chair of the Chapter’s Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee, as well as past Chair of Chapter’s Annual Meeting. Currently she is an elected member of the Board of Directors of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry (AAGP) and Chair of the AAGP Research Committee.

  • Andrew E. Budson, MD

    Associate Director

    Dr. Budson is Professor of Neurology, Boston University School of Medicine, and Chief, Cognitive & Behavioral Neurology and Associate Chief of Staff for Education, VA Boston Healthcare System. He also serves as both Associate Director and Lead of the Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement (ORE) Core of the BU-ADRC.

    Dr. Budson has over three decades of experience as a prolific researcher and highly innovative and effective educator in ADRD, with over 150 publications and numerous awards. He has also served in major hospital leadership positions (at the level of Department Chair or above) for the last 15 years. Dr. Budson will work with Dr. Okereke to provide leadership, strategic planning, and day-to-day management of the LAC and the overall Mass-ENVISION program. His expertise will be particularly essential efforts in the LAC to ensure community focus in all work.

  • Deborah Blacker, MD, ScD

    LAC Member

    Dr. Blacker is Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, Professor of Epidemiology at HSPH, Deputy Chair of the Department of Epidemiology at HSPH, and Associate Chief for Research in the Department of Psychiatry at MGH. She is formally trained as a geriatric psychiatrist, psychiatric geneticist and epidemiologist, and currently directs the Gerontology Research Unit and serves as Lead of the Research Education Component (REC) and Co-Lead of the Clinical Core for the MADRC, and Lead of the Analytic (Data) of the long-standing Harvard Aging Brain Study Program Project Grant (PI, Sperling: P01AG036694).

    Dr. Blacker’s experience in leadership roles with multiple Cores of NIA Centers and Programs, as well as institutional leadership roles at MGH and Harvard, highlight her superior expertise to serve on the LAC. She will place particular emphasis on directly informing evaluation processes and metrics utilized by the LAC for continuous, rigorous review of the REC.

  • Teresa Gomez-Isla, MD, PhD

    LAC Member

    Dr. Gomez-Isla is the Anne Young Associate Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School, Director of the MGH Neurology Department’s Memory Disorders Unit and Spanish language Neurology clinics, Lead of the Clinical Core of the MADRC, and Assistant Director of the MADRC.

    Dr. Gomez-Isla also plays a pivotal role in the MADRC ORE Core, where she spearheaded unprecedented success in community initiatives, inclusion and surging recruitment among Latino and other minority participants in the Clinical Core’s longitudinal Cohort. She will bring her cross-Core expertise to the LAC and will support the Lead and Associate Director in effective interaction with other Core Leads, especially the Mass-ENVISION CLRC, and will generally advise in overall stewardship activities for the Center. She will take an active role in mentoring junior faculty, as well as participating in REC activities.

  • Bradley Hyman, MD, PhD

    LAC Member

    Dr. Hyman is the John Penney Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School and Co-Vice Chair for Research in the Neurology Department at MGH. He has been PI of the MADRC since 2006. He is one of the world’s most accomplished scientists in ADRD and has been recognized by countless awards, including the Alzheimer’s Association Zenith Award. Dr. Hyman has an extensive track record of collaboration with the proposed Mass-ENVISION PI and LAC Lead Dr. Okereke as well as multiple other members of the LAC and other Cores of this proposed AD/ADRD RCMAR.

    As PI of the MADRC, Dr. Hyman will provide uniquely expert guidance and oversight for the activities of the LAC and its interface with all Cores and the EAC members, and he will help Mass-ENVISION to fulfill its goal of strong cross-collaboration with other NIA Centers, as he regularly communicates, and collaborates with and/or represents MADRC at meetings of the Boston Roybal Center and BU-ADRC.

  • Alex Keuroghlian, MD, MPH

    LAC Member

    Dr. Keuroghlian is Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School; Director, Education and Training Programs at the Fenway Institute; Director, National LGBTQIA+ Health Education Center; Director, MGH Gender Identity Program; Director, Public and Community Psychiatry Curriculum for the MGH/McLean Hospital psychiatry residency program; and Chief, Division of Public and Community Psychiatry in the Department of Psychiatry at MGH. Dr. Keuroghlian is a clinical psychiatrist, educator, researcher and world-renowned expert in mental health conditions affecting sexual and gender minorities, and he/they directs two federally funded centers for sexual and gender minority populations.

    Dr. Keuroghlian consistently applies an equity lens across the span of clinical, educational, research and community outreach and engagement work in the Division. Dr. Keuroghlian will support the LAC Lead and team in its coordination with the CLRC and will ensure that LAC and Center overall apply, across all work in the Cores, NIH definitions of diversity and underrepresented populations.