Profile – Professor Dennis Dickson, May Clinic

Dr Dennis Dickson

Name:

Professor Dennis Dickson

Job title:

Professor in Neuropathology

Place of work / study:

Mayo Clinic Jacksonville

Area of Research:

Neuropathologist and director of brain bank for neurodegenerative diseases

How is your work funded:

Mayo Clinic & NIH

Tell us a little about yourself:

I provide neuropathological diagnostic services for ageing and neurodegenerative disorders through the Mayo Clinic brain bank in Jacksonville, Florida, one of the largest services of its kind in the United States. For most specimens, we preserve both formalin fixed and frozen tissue. I carry out detailed neuropathological studies on the fixed tissue, while my team shares frozen samples with qualified researchers in the United States and internationally.

My primary research focus is on the neuropathological features of brains from individuals involved in prospective and longitudinal studies sponsored by the National Institute on Aging. I also collaborate with colleagues studying Parkinson disease and atypical parkinsonian disorders, including Lewy body dementia and progressive supranuclear palsy.

The main sources of our brain bank specimens include the Mayo Clinic Alzheimer Disease Research Center, the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, the Einstein Aging Study at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and the Florida Alzheimer Disease Initiative. Through partnerships with nonprofit organisations such as the Brain Support Network, we also receive samples from affected individuals across the United States. These studies encompass diverse participant groups, including inner city cohorts such as the Bronx Aging Study, as well as older adult community volunteers and participants in population based research programmes.

My team and I obtain both fixed and frozen brain samples at autopsy. We share frozen tissue with scientists studying the genetics and biochemistry of neurological disorders, while using the fixed tissue for diagnostic evaluation and research. Our work draws on a range of techniques, including histology, immunohistochemistry, electron microscopy, image analysis and immunoassays.

I am part of a multidisciplinary team of internationally recognised researchers and clinicians with specialist expertise in Parkinson disease and movement disorders, and I lead an American Parkinson Disease Association Center for Advanced Research at Mayo Clinic.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself:

I have 5 sisters

Why did you choose to work in dementia?

Interest in brain disorders and a family history of Alzheimer’s disease.

What single piece of advise would you give to an early career researcher?

Work hard and do not be discouraged by negative results.

What book are you reading right now? Would you recommend it?

Nothing right now

Favourite film of all time?

Field of Dreams

Favourite ways to unplug and unwind?

Blues music

What’s the best decision you ever made?

Joining Mayo Clinic

What’s your favourite vacation spot?

Florida

Do you collect anything?

No

Can we find you on social media?

No sorry