Huntington Medical Research Institutes, a pioneer in scientific research with a 70-year track record of groundbreaking discoveries, welcomes Astrid Suchy-Dicey, Ph.D., to its Clinical Neuroscience Department. Suchy-Dicey, an accomplished epidemiologist renowned for her revolutionary research on Alzheimer’s disease will direct the institute’s Brain Aging Study and the Clinical Neuroscience Program.
“We welcome Dr. Suchy-Dicey to our esteemed Neuroscience research team and look forward to her contributions to our Brain Aging Study,” said Julia Bradsher, Ph.D., MBA, President and Chief Executive Officer of HMRI. “Her extensive experience leading large government-funded studies, coupled with her expertise in neuroepidemiology will play a pivotal role in advancing HMRI’s research initiatives, particularly in the critical areas of Alzheimer’s and vascular diseases.”
Suchy-Dicey’s distinguished career as an epidemiologist has been dedicated to unraveling health disparities in neurodegenerative diseases. Her research focuses on enhancing the methodology for analyzing and interpreting data related to imaging, biomarkers, cognitive testing, and social determinants pertaining to Alzheimer’s and vascular diseases, especially in American Indians, Alaska Natives, and other marginalized populations.
She is committed to understanding risk and resilience factors as she leads multiple large, landmark population-based studies. Suchy-Dicey also holds external leadership positions in research methods and mentoring centers at Washington State University, the University of Washington and the University of Miami.
At the University of Washington Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, Suchy-Dicey is co-lead of the Data Management and Statistics Core and the 2021-2022 UW ADRC Development Project Leader of the project that studied Alzheimer’s disease in American Indians. Suchy-Dicey was awarded three current R01 grants for her continued research and novel data collection methods as part of the Strong Heart Study, including: resilience, cultural alignment, social support, and brain aging; psychological factors, community, and brain aging in American Indians; bilingualism as a protective factor of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in American Indian adults.
Suchy-Dicey earned her doctorate degree in epidemiology at the University of Washington, where she also earned her master’s, with dual concentrations in Public Health Genetics and Quantitative Methods. There she trained under top methodologists, providing the foundation for her expertise and contributions to the field.
“I’m eager to work with HMRI’s passionate team of scientists and look forward to advancing research around Alzheimer’s disease, especially insofar as it differentially affects underserved minorities. HMRI is dedicated to creating a future world without heart and brain disorders and I’m grateful and honored to be part of that,” stated Suchy-Dicey.
Suchy-Dicey’s title at HMRI will be associate professor of Clinical Neuroscience and director of the Brain Aging Study.
First published in the Oct.19 issue of the San Marino Tribune
