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Richard S. Isaacson

Director of Brain Health

Richard S. Isaacson

Dr. Richard S. Isaacson is a renowned neurologist with a focus on the treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease. He is the Founder and Former Director of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic, a first-of-its-kind in the world, at Weill Cornell Medicine & NewYork Presbyterian, where he was also Assistant Dean of Faculty Development and Associate Professor of Neurology.

Dr. Isaacson remains on faculty as an Adjunct Associate Professor of Neurology at Weill Cornell and comes to Atria from Florida Atlantic University Schmidt College of Medicine, where he most recently served as Director of the Center for Brain Health.

On his decision to join Atria, he says he was drawn to work in a medical environment where being forward-thinking is encouraged rather than frowned upon. “This approach often goes against the traditional grain in medical care, which is typically informed by practice guidelines that are often outdated soon after being published,” he says. “At Atria, we have the time and personnel to have multidisciplinary care discussions about each and every patient and family we see.”

Dr. Isaacson began his academic career in an accelerated six-year program at the University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, where he earned his Bachelor of Liberal Arts at age 19 and his medical degree at the age of 23. He cites a family history of Alzheimer’s—as well as his older brother, also a neurologist—as early inspiration for his focus on the disease.

“Our research strives to go beyond ‘thinking outside the box’ and instead to ‘making the box bigger,’” says Dr. Isaacson. “This is the only way to shift the paradigm from sick care to well care before disease pathology becomes resistant to treatment.”

There is a saying among Alzheimer’s experts that to know one person with the disease is to, well, know one person with the disease—because it presents so distinctively in different people. To address this, Dr. Isaacson has pioneered methods using a precision-medicine approach to Alzheimer’s risk reduction in his own practice, and he served as Principal Investigator for the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic’s “Comparative Effectiveness Dementia & Alzheimer’s Registry” (CEDAR), a study that aims to uncover evidence that informs and leads to better, more precision-driven care.

Prior to his work at Weill Cornell, Dr. Isaacson was Associate Professor of Clinical Neurology and Vice Chair for Education at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. He completed his residency in neurology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center / Harvard Medical School, and his medical internship at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami Beach.

In order to address his own risk for Alzheimer’s, he has made several adjustments to his lifestyle. “The totality of the evidence is now overwhelming,” he says. “I believe, based on the research available, that preventative lifestyle changes and individualized care based on emerging principles of precision medicine can meaningfully reduce risk—and can also benefit overall health.”

Credentials

  • Founder & Former Director
    Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic, Weill Cornell Memory Disorders Program
  • Adjunct Associate Professor of Neurology
    NewYork Presbyterian / Weill Cornell Medical Center
  • Former Assistant Dean of Faculty Development
    NewYork Presbyterian / Weill Cornell Medical Center
  • Creator & Medical and Scientific Development Lead
    Alzheimer’s Universe
  • Former Director
    Neurology Residency Program, Weill Cornell Medicine
  • Former Education Director
    The McKnight Brain Institute, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
  • Former Associate Professor of Clinical Neurology
    University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
  • Former Vice Chair of Education
    University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
  • Former Neurology Residency Program Director
    University of Miami Miller School of Medicine
  • Former Director
    Center for Brain Health, Florida Atlantic University

Awards

  • A.B. Baker Teacher Recognition Award
    American Academy of Neurology
  • Member
    Alpha Omega Alpha Medical Honor Society
  • Distinguished Author

Affiliations

  • Trustee
    The McKnight Brain Research Foundation
  • Former Chair
    American Academy of Neurology e-Learning Subcommittee
  • Fellow
    American Academy of Neurology

Meet Our Doctors

Ken Shubin Stein

Dr. Ken Shubin Stein

Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer

David W. Dodick

Dr. David W. Dodick

Chief Science Officer & Chair, Atria Academy of Science & Medicine

Paul G. Lee

Dr. Paul G. Lee

Chief Clinical Consultant

Nieca Goldberg

Dr. Nieca Goldberg

Women’s Health & Cardiology, Medical Director of Atria New York

Lawrence C. Newman

Dr. Lawrence C. Newman

Director of Brain Health

Richard S. Isaacson

Dr. Richard S. Isaacson

Director of Brain Health

Rony Shimony

Dr. Rony Shimony

Director of Cardiology

Jennifer McGugins Hill

Dr. Jennifer McGugins Hill

Internal Medicine

Jahangir Rahman

Dr. Jahangir Rahman

Internal Medicine

Edward J. Greaney

Dr. Edward J. Greaney

Internal Medicine

Yadiera M. Brown

Dr. Yadiera M. Brown

Family Medicine

Evelyn C. Granieri

Dr. Evelyn C. Granieri

Director of Geriatrics

Nicholas D. Caputo

Dr. Nicholas D. Caputo

Director of Urgent & Home Care

Carmela Seymour

Dr. Carmela Seymour

Gynecology

Kelly Fradin

Dr. Kelly Fradin

Director of Pediatrics

Hina J. Talib

Dr. Hina J. Talib

Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine

Cory Kercher

Dr. Cory Kercher

Pediatrics

Kersha S. Pennicott

Dr. Kersha S. Pennicott

Pediatrics & Urgent Care

Ken Shubin Stein

Dr. Ken Shubin Stein

Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer

David W. Dodick

Dr. David W. Dodick

Chief Science Officer & Chair, Atria Academy of Science & Medicine

Paul G. Lee

Dr. Paul G. Lee

Chief Clinical Consultant

Nieca Goldberg

Dr. Nieca Goldberg

Women’s Health & Cardiology, Medical Director of Atria New York

Lawrence C. Newman

Dr. Lawrence C. Newman

Director of Brain Health

Richard S. Isaacson

Dr. Richard S. Isaacson

Director of Brain Health

Rony Shimony

Dr. Rony Shimony

Director of Cardiology

Jennifer McGugins Hill

Dr. Jennifer McGugins Hill

Internal Medicine

Jahangir Rahman

Dr. Jahangir Rahman

Internal Medicine

Edward J. Greaney

Dr. Edward J. Greaney

Internal Medicine

Yadiera M. Brown

Dr. Yadiera M. Brown

Family Medicine

Evelyn C. Granieri

Dr. Evelyn C. Granieri

Director of Geriatrics

Nicholas D. Caputo

Dr. Nicholas D. Caputo

Director of Urgent & Home Care

Carmela Seymour

Dr. Carmela Seymour

Gynecology

Kelly Fradin

Dr. Kelly Fradin

Director of Pediatrics

Hina J. Talib

Dr. Hina J. Talib

Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine

Cory Kercher

Dr. Cory Kercher

Pediatrics

Kersha S. Pennicott

Dr. Kersha S. Pennicott

Pediatrics & Urgent Care

001 /

Ken Shubin Stein

Dr. Ken Shubin Stein

Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer

Read full bio
David W. Dodick

Dr. David W. Dodick

Chief Science Officer & Chair, Atria Academy of Science & Medicine

Read full bio
Paul G. Lee

Dr. Paul G. Lee

Chief Clinical Consultant


Read full bio
Nieca Goldberg

Dr. Nieca Goldberg

Women’s Health & Cardiology, Medical Director of Atria New York

Read full bio
Lawrence C. Newman

Dr. Lawrence C. Newman

Director of Brain Health

Read full bio
Richard S. Isaacson

Dr. Richard S. Isaacson

Director of Brain Health

Read full bio
Rony Shimony

Dr. Rony Shimony

Director of Cardiology

Read full bio
Jennifer McGugins Hill

Dr. Jennifer McGugins Hill

Internal Medicine

Read full bio
Jahangir Rahman

Dr. Jahangir Rahman

Internal Medicine

Read full bio
Edward J. Greaney

Dr. Edward J. Greaney

Internal Medicine

Read full bio
Yadiera M. Brown

Dr. Yadiera M. Brown

Family Medicine

Read full bio
Evelyn C. Granieri

Dr. Evelyn C. Granieri

Director of Geriatrics

Read full bio
Nicholas D. Caputo

Dr. Nicholas D. Caputo

Director of Urgent & Home Care

Read full bio
Carmela Seymour

Dr. Carmela Seymour

Gynecology

Read full bio
Kelly Fradin

Dr. Kelly Fradin

Director of Pediatrics

Read full bio
Hina J. Talib

Dr. Hina J. Talib

Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine

Read full bio
Cory Kercher

Dr. Cory Kercher

Pediatrics

Read full bio
Kersha S. Pennicott

Dr. Kersha S. Pennicott

Pediatrics & Urgent Care

Read full bio
Ken Shubin Stein

Dr. Ken Shubin Stein

Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer

David W. Dodick

Dr. David W. Dodick

Chief Science Officer & Chair, Atria Academy of Science & Medicine

Paul G. Lee

Dr. Paul G. Lee

Chief Clinical Consultant

Nieca Goldberg

Dr. Nieca Goldberg

Women’s Health & Cardiology, Medical Director of Atria New York

Lawrence C. Newman

Dr. Lawrence C. Newman

Director of Brain Health

Richard S. Isaacson

Dr. Richard S. Isaacson

Director of Brain Health

Rony Shimony

Dr. Rony Shimony

Director of Cardiology

Jennifer McGugins Hill

Dr. Jennifer McGugins Hill

Internal Medicine

Jahangir Rahman

Dr. Jahangir Rahman

Internal Medicine

Edward J. Greaney

Dr. Edward J. Greaney

Internal Medicine

Yadiera M. Brown

Dr. Yadiera M. Brown

Family Medicine

Evelyn C. Granieri

Dr. Evelyn C. Granieri

Director of Geriatrics

Nicholas D. Caputo

Dr. Nicholas D. Caputo

Director of Urgent & Home Care

Carmela Seymour

Dr. Carmela Seymour

Gynecology

Kelly Fradin

Dr. Kelly Fradin

Director of Pediatrics

Hina J. Talib

Dr. Hina J. Talib

Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine

Cory Kercher

Dr. Cory Kercher

Pediatrics

Kersha S. Pennicott

Dr. Kersha S. Pennicott

Pediatrics & Urgent Care

Ken Shubin Stein

Dr. Ken Shubin Stein

Co-Founder & Chief Medical Officer

David W. Dodick

Dr. David W. Dodick

Chief Science Officer & Chair, Atria Academy of Science & Medicine

Paul G. Lee

Dr. Paul G. Lee

Chief Clinical Consultant

Nieca Goldberg

Dr. Nieca Goldberg

Women’s Health & Cardiology, Medical Director of Atria New York

Lawrence C. Newman

Dr. Lawrence C. Newman

Director of Brain Health

Richard S. Isaacson

Dr. Richard S. Isaacson

Director of Brain Health

Rony Shimony

Dr. Rony Shimony

Director of Cardiology

Jennifer McGugins Hill

Dr. Jennifer McGugins Hill

Internal Medicine

Jahangir Rahman

Dr. Jahangir Rahman

Internal Medicine

Edward J. Greaney

Dr. Edward J. Greaney

Internal Medicine

Yadiera M. Brown

Dr. Yadiera M. Brown

Family Medicine

Evelyn C. Granieri

Dr. Evelyn C. Granieri

Director of Geriatrics

Nicholas D. Caputo

Dr. Nicholas D. Caputo

Director of Urgent & Home Care

Carmela Seymour

Dr. Carmela Seymour

Gynecology

Kelly Fradin

Dr. Kelly Fradin

Director of Pediatrics

Hina J. Talib

Dr. Hina J. Talib

Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine

Cory Kercher

Dr. Cory Kercher

Pediatrics

Kersha S. Pennicott

Dr. Kersha S. Pennicott

Pediatrics & Urgent Care