Administrative Core

Dr. Robert Fox, MD is a neurologist at the Cleveland Clinic, with appointments in the Department of Neurology, the Mellen Center for Multiple Sclerosis, and the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas. He serves as Vice Chair of Research for the Neurological Institute, Interim Director of Research at the Lou Ruvo Center in Las Vegas and co-Director of the CNTN COBRE.

He received his medical degree from Johns Hopkins University, neurology residency training at the University of Pennsylvania, multiple sclerosis fellowship training at Cleveland Clinic, and a master's degree in Clinical Research from Case Western Reserve University.

Dr. Fox has over 25 years of experience in clinical and translational research, initially focused on multiple sclerosis (MS) and now encompassing a wider range of neurodegenerative disorders. He has served on steering committees for more than 25 clinical trials, from early-phase safety studies to late-phase efficacy trials.

He is currently a multiple Principal Investigator (mPI) on an NIH–NIA R61/R33 grant and the Principal Investigator (PI) for a $1.25 million grant from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. As a research leader, he successfully expanded the Neurological Institute’s research program from $15 million in 2014 to $62 million in 2024. He also served as the final PI for the Nevada Exploratory Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (NVeADRC).

Dr. Fox brings deep experience in managing complex research programs, building multidisciplinary teams, and advancing innovative clinical trials to improve neurological care.

Jefferson Kinney PhD, is co-Director of the Center for Neurodegeneration and Translational Neuroscience. He also is the Founding Chair of the Department of Brain Health and holds the Reg Grundy and Joy Chambers-Grundy Chair for Brain Health in the Department of Brain Health, School of Integrated Health Sciences, University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV). He is the Director of the Pam Quirk Brain Health and Biomarker Laboratory as well as the Cellular and Molecular Brain Research Laboratory in the Department of Brain Health. Dr. Kinney earned his Ph.D. at Colorado State University and was awarded an Intramural Research Training Fellowship at the National Institute of Mental Health investigating the biology and behavior of transgenic mouse models of Alzheimer’s disease. He was then selected as the Helen Dorris Fellow in the Department of Neuropharmacology at The Scripps Research Institute where he conducted research on molecular mechanisms in neurological disorders. He joined the UNLV faculty in 2007. Dr. Kinney’s primary research focuses is on investigations of cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying Alzheimer’s disease as well as the investigation of candidate biomarkers in neurodegenerative disorders. Dr. Kinney’s translational research approach combines preclinical model investigations of disease mechanisms that may serve as new therapeutic targets as well as discovering novel biomarkers that can be used in detection, diagnosis, and evaluation of treatment efficacy of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. Dr. Kinney’s research provides a foundation for understanding the risk of developing AD and the utility of personalized treatment approaches to preserve brain health.