Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU)
Aimee Pierce, MD
Site PI
Dr. Aimee Pierce is a geriatric neurologist focused on patient care and clinical research for people with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia. She is the Director of the Clinical Care and Therapeutics Program of the OHSU Layton Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease Center and has been the principal investigator of more than 20 clinical trials for Alzheimer’s disease prevention and treatment, in phases 2 and 3. In addition to pharmaceutical clinical trials, she is also focused on testing novel behavioral interventions for AD including cognitive and physical exercise, as well as the incorporation and validation of digital biomarkers into Alzheimer’s research. Finally, she has a focus on clinical trial recruitment and the research participant experience.
Kirsten Wright, ND, MCR, MS
Site Co-PI
Kirsten Wright, ND, MCR, MS, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology at Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU), School of Medicine (Portland, Oregon) and the OHSU Site Co-Principal Investigator for the Alzheimer’s Clinical Trial Consortium. She received her Doctorate of Naturopathic Medicine and her Master of Science in Integrative Medicine Research from the National University of Natural Medicine and her Masters of Clinical Research from OHSU. Dr. Wright completed a NIH-funded T32 research fellowship at the Oregon Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine in Neurological Disorders in pharmacognosy, translational medicine including botanical product development and regulatory approvals, and pharmacokinetic trials of botanical medicines in older adults. Her research focus is on non-pharmaceutical interventions for cognitive decline and identifying potential prodromal changes of functional cognitive decline using unobtrusive digital tools in real world settings. Her studies include understanding nutrition-related behaviors and dietary supplement utilization of older adults at risk for or with cognitive decline and identifying cognition-related targets of engagement of the botanical Centella asiatica in older adults with mild cognitive impairment and early Alzheimer’s Disease. She is supported by a NIH/NIA K23 career development award and the Alzheimer’s Association.
Rezwana Zahir
Site Liaison
Rezwana Zahir has been working in clinical trials for 14+ years and is very passionate about improving processes and quality of care for our elderly population. As a Clinical Trials Administrator, she is extremely grateful to work in a field she is passionate about, and being a Site Liaison means she gets to support her team and help them grow. She is committed to improving quality processes, achieving the endpoints our studies seek, and delaying the progression for Alzheimer’s disease.
