Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School
Cynthia A. Lemere, PhD, is a scientist in the Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases at Brigham & Women’s Hospital and an Associate Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School in Boston. Dr. Lemere focuses on translational research for understanding, preventing, and treating Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Lemere earned a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Education from Mount Holyoke College and a master’s in Neurobiology from SUNY Albany. Dr. Lemere examined Alzheimer’s-related brain changes in people with Down syndrome in the Selkoe Laboratory at Brigham and Women’s Hospital while pursuing her doctorate in Pathology at Boston University School of Medicine. After receiving her PhD, she remained at the Center as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Instructor, Assistant Professor and is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Neurology.
Her current research involves preclinical studies of antibody treatments to reduce a disease-relevant form of the amyloid-beta protein that accumulates and forms plaques in the Alzheimer’s brain, the role of the body’s immune host-defense system (e.g., complement) in Alzheimer’s disease progression, and the effects of deep space galactic cosmic radiation on brain aging and the risk of Alzheimer’s in preparation for NASA’s first manned mission to Mars in the 2030s.
Dr. Lemere participates in local and national mentoring programs for underrepresented minorities including high school, undergraduate, and medical students. Dr. Lemere serves on several national and international scientific advisory boards, including the National Alzheimer’s Association Medical and Scientific Advisory Council, the Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer’s Network Therapeutic Unit (DIAN-TU) Therapeutic Evaluation Committee, the International Alzheimer’s Disease/Parkinson’s Disease (ADPD) Conference Scientific Advisory Council, the BrightFocus Foundation Scientific Review Council, and the Down Syndrome Achieves Biobank Governing Board of Directors. In addition, she serves as a scientific advisor for several companies.