Kristen Willeumier, Ph.D.

Kristen Willeumier, PhD, is a neuroscientist with research expertise on how diet, lifestyle, nutrition and sports related concussions impact brain health and longevity. Dr. Willeumier served as the Director of Neuroimaging Research for the Amen Clinics from 2009-2016 exploring the role of brain SPECT imaging in clinical practice. She has authored or co-authored 52 scientific publications in peer reviewed journals. Areas of published research include traumatic brain injury, posttraumatic stress disorder, autism, biomarkers of suicide, obesity, gender differences in brain function, clinical outcomes and brain rehabilitation. Together with colleagues, she led a clinical research trial investigating the long-term effects of repetitive subconcussive impacts in NFL football players. Subsequent work focused on therapeutic approaches to rehabilitate brain function in athletes.

Dr.Willeumier is currently the on the Scientific Advisory Board of Black Brain Health, LLC, a brain health organization focused on promoting enhanced cognition and neuroprotection and is a Media Spokesperson for CogGevity™ Advanced Brain Nutrition. She also holds a position on the Scientific Advisory Board of Tate Technology, LLC, a sports safety and technology licensing company. Dr.Willeumier is a Senior Research Fellow with the Society for Brain Mapping and Therapeutics and sits on the Scientific Committee for the 2018 World Brain Mapping Congress developing a Brain Health and Fitness Initiative.

Dr. Willeumier conducted her graduate research in the laboratory of Neurophysiology at the University of California, Los Angeles and the laboratory of Neurogenetics at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center using live cell imaging to investigate mechanisms of synaptic signaling in Parkinson’s disease. She received MS degrees in Physiological science and Neurobiology and a PhD degree in Neurobiology from the University of California, Los Angeles. She was a post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Neurology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center where she continued her work in the field of neurodegenerative disease. She was the recipient of the prestigious NIH fellowship from the National Institute of Mental Health to study the molecular mechanisms underlying Parkinson’s disease and has presented her work at national and international scientific meetings including the Society for Neuroscience and Gordon Research Conference in Hong Kong.