Chief Medical Officer, Banner Research
Director, Banner Sun Health Research Institute
Dr. Alireza Atri was named Director of the Banner Sun Health Research Institute in 2018 where he oversees all research, clinical care and education and training programs. He is an internationally recognized cognitive neurologist, neuroscientist, clinical researcher and educator specializing in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias whose research focuses on improving detection, risk reduction, prognostication, experimental therapies and best care practices. He also specializes in the care of persons with early-stage and early-onset cognitive disorders and young-onset Alzheimer’s and related dementias.
Dr. Atri works closely with Banner Alzheimer’s Institute to further develop clinical and research programs as well as continue to advance the understanding, treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease and other age-related disorders. He is dedicated to advancing Banner’s leadership role with an eye toward finding effective Alzheimer’s disease prevention therapies in close partnership with Banner Health, Sun Health Foundation and other stakeholders.
Dr. Atri serves as a leader for the Clinical and Biomarker Cores of the NIA/NIH-funded Arizona Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center; as co-chair the U.S. Alzheimer’s Association’s national clinical practice guidelines workgroup on the evaluation of suspected cognitive impairment and Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias; as chair of the Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI) Medical Scientific Advisory Panel; as a Project Arm Leader for DIAN-TU (Dominantly Inherited Alzheimer’s Network- Trials Unit); and has led and serves on steering committees of multiple global Alzheimer’s experimental trials programs and research consortia.
Dr. Atri earned undergraduate, master’s and doctoral degrees at Harvard Medical School and University of California, Los Angeles; and his medical degree at University of California, San Francisco. He completed internship and residency at Mass General Brigham, Harvard Medical School; and post-doctoral fellowships at Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston University, Harvard and MIT.