Kirk Erickson, PhD
Chair of Neuroscience Institute
Neuroscience
Overview
Dr. Kirk Erickson is Director of Translational Neuroscience and Mardian J. Blair Endowed Chair of Neuroscience at the AdventHealth Research Institute, Neuroscience Institute. Dr. Erickson received his Ph.D. at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and was a post-doctoral scholar at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Engineering. He was also a Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the Univeristy of Pittsburgh before starting at AdventHealth. Dr. Erickson’s vast research program focuses on the effects of physical activity on brain health across the lifespan. This research has resulted in > 250 published articles and 15 book chapters.
Dr. Erickson’s research has been funded by numerous awards and grants from NIH, the Alzheimer’s Association, and other organizations. He has been awarded a large multi-site Phase III clinical trial examining the impact of exercise on cognitive function in cognitively normal older adults. His research resulted in the prestigious Chancellor’s Distinguished Research Award from the University of Pittsburgh. He was named a Fellow of the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research in 2016, and a Distinguished Scientist Award by Murdoch University in 2018. He currently holds a Visiting Professor appointment at the University of Granada, Spain.
Dr. Erickson was a member of the 2018 Physical Activity Guidelines Advisory Committee, and chair of the Brain Health subcommittee charged with developing the second edition of the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. His research has been featured in a long list of print, radio, and electronic media including the New York Times, CNN, BBC News, NPR, Time, and the Wall Street Journal.
Contact Information:
Kirk.Erickson@AdventHealth.com
Articles
Early morning physical activity is associated with healthier white matter microstructure and happier children: the ActiveBrains project
EUROPEAN CHILD & ADOLESCENT PSYCHIATRY
2023
Differentiating the influence of sedentary behavior and physical activity on brain health in late adulthood.
Experimental gerontology
2023
Active Gains in brain Using Exercise During Aging (AGUEDA): protocol for a randomized controlled trial
Frontiers in human neuroscience
2023
How little is enough? The feasibility of conducting a dose- escalation study for exercise training in people with stroke
JOURNAL OF STROKE & CEREBROVASCULAR DISEASES
2023
The interaction between physical activity and sleep on cognitive function and brain beta-amyloid in older adults
BEHAVIOURAL BRAIN RESEARCH
2023
How does apolipoprotein E genotype influence the relationship between physical activity and Alzheimer's disease risk? A novel integrative model
ALZHEIMERS RESEARCH & THERAPY
2023
A new set of estimated cardiorespiratory fitness equations are associated with cognitive performance in older adults
GEROSCIENCE
2023
The relationship between objective physical activity and change in cognitive function
ALZHEIMERS & DEMENTIA
2023
Cardiorespiratory fitness levels and body mass index of pre-adolescent children and older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic
FRONTIERS IN PUBLIC HEALTH
2023
Early life factors and hippocampal functional connectivity in children with overweight/obesity
PEDIATRIC OBESITY
2022
Education & Training
Education
University of Illinois; Beckman Institute