Joe Verghese, a physician researcher and educator, has been appointed as the Chair of the Department of Neurology at the Renaissance School of Medicine (RSOM) at Stony Brook University. His appointment, effective October 14, was announced by Peter Igarashi, MD, Knapp Dean of RSOM. Dr. Verghese is known for his expertise in gait and cognition related to aging.
Dr. Verghese joins RSOM after over two decades at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York. There he served as Professor of Neurology & Medicine and was the inaugural Chief of the Division of Cognitive & Motor Aging. He also held positions such as Murray D. Gross Memorial Faculty Scholar in Gerontology and former Chief of Geriatrics for Montefiore Medical Center’s Department of Medicine. He founded the Montefiore Einstein Center for the Aging Brain, recognized as a Center of Excellence in Alzheimer’s disease by New York State's Department of Health in 2016.
“Our aging society has a great need for medical experts who will advance preventive and treatment strategies for age-related illnesses, and the selection of Dr. Verghese as our new Neurology Chair ensures that this area of medicine will thrive within the Renaissance School of Medicine,” said Dr. Igarashi.
Dr. Verghese's research focuses on non-cognitive features in early dementia stages, including gait disorders and frailty, defining Motoric Cognitive Risk Syndrome—a pre-dementia syndrome that helps identify older adults at high risk for dementia.
“By harnessing the expertise of our exceptional Neurology team at Stony Brook, I believe we can deepen our understanding of neurological disorders, train the next generation of neurologists, and significantly enhance treatment outcomes for our patients on Long Island and beyond,” stated Dr. Verghese.
A graduate from St. John’s Medical College in Bangalore with postgraduate training in Internal Medicine and Neurology from the UK, Dr. Verghese completed his residency at Einstein followed by fellowship training there.
He has authored over 300 peer-reviewed articles and secured more than $200 million in research funding from NIH since 2002; currently holding five active NIH grants.
Dr. Verghese is affiliated with several professional organizations including being a Fellow with both American Academy of Neurology and American Geriatrics Society among others while receiving numerous accolades throughout his career such as Beeson Award from National Institute on Aging along with other prestigious awards.
In mentoring roles during his tenure at Einstein he stands out having received Mentor-of-the-Year Award twice under their Clinical Research Training Program.