Skip to main content

Kirk Erickson, PhD

Kirk Erickson, PhD

Director, Translational Research

Neuroscience

Kirk Erickson, PhD

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