Publications
Kennedy, K.M., Rodrigue, K.M., Devous, M.D., Hebrank, A.C., Bischof, G.N. (in press).
Beta-amyloid burden is associated with altered functional activation during encoding
across the adult lifespan. Neuroimage. in press - Publication
Park, D.C. & McDonough, I. (In press). The dynamic aging mind: Revelations from
functional neuroimaging research. Perspectives in Psychological Science. in press - Publication
Grossmann, I; Na, J; Varnum, ME; Park, DC; Kitayama, S; Nisbett, RE. (in press). Reasoning about social conflicts improves into old age. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. ? - Publication
Park, J., Hebrank, A.C., Polk, T.A., & Park, D.C. (2012). Neural dissociation of number from
letter recognition and its relationship to parietal numerical processing. Journal of
Cognitive Neuroscience, 24, 39-50. 2012 - Publication
Peiying, L., Hebrank, A.C., Rodrigue, K.M., Kennedy, K.M., Park, D.C., & Lu, H. (2012). A
comparison of physiologic modulators of FMRI signals. Human Brain Mapping 2012 - Publication
Huang, C.M., & Park, D.C. (2012). Cultural influences on Facebook photographs.
International Journal of Psychology. 2012 - Publication
Park, J., Park, D.C., & Polk, T.A. (2012). Investigating unique environmental contributions
to the neural representation of written words: A monozygotic twin study. PloS ONE,
7, e31512. 2012 - Publication
Park, J., Carp, J., Kennedy, K.M., Rodrigue, K.M., Bischof, G.N., Huang, C.M., Rieck, J.R.,
Polk, T.A., & Park, D.C. (2012). Neural broadening or neural attenuation?
Investigating age-related dedifferentiation in the face network in a large lifespan
sample. The Journal of Neuroscience, 32, 2154-2158. 2012 - Publication
Huang, C.M., Polk, T.A., Goh, J.O., & Park, D.C. (2012). Both left and right posterior
parietal activations contribute to compensatory processes in normal aging.
Neuropsychologia, 50, 55-66. 2012 - Publication
Rodrigue, K.M., Kennedy, K.M., Devous, M.D., Rieck, J.R., Hebrank, A.C, Diaz-Arrastia,
R., Mathews, D., & Park D.C. (2012). Beta-amyloid burden in healthy aging:
Regional distribution and cognitive consequences. Neurology, 78, 387-395. 2012 - Publication
Appointments
T. Boone Pickens Distinguished Chair
The University of Texas at Dallas [2008–2010]
Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry
The University of Texas Southwestern Medical School [2008–Present]
Director & Professor & University of Texas Regents Research Scholar
The University of Texas at Dallas [2008–Present]
Director
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign [2002–2007]
Professor
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign [2002–2007]
Professor
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign [2002–2007]
Cognitive Division Chair
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign [2002–2004]
Professor
The University of Michigan [1995–2002]
Senior Research Scientist
The University of Michigan [1995–2002]
Director
The University of Georgia [1989–1995]
News Articles

For the first time in 27 years, revised criteria for the clinical diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease have been published, along with a new research agenda for studying the earliest stages of the disease, before symptoms appear. Three expert workgroups spearheaded by the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association published their guidelines for clinicians and recommended research priorities in a series of articles available online April 19 and in the May 2011 print issue of Alzheimer’s & Dementia, the journal of the Alzheimer’s Association. The guidelines mark a significant change in how experts think about and study Alzheimer’s, said Dr. Denise Park, co-director of UT Dallas’ Center for Vital Longevity, who served on the 21-member international workgroup responsible for laying out the new research agenda.

Dr. Denise Park, director of UT Dallas’ newly formed Center for Vital Longevity, is a featured expert in a new public television documentary series exploring aging issues for baby boomers. Park’s research is aimed at understanding how the mind changes and adapts as individuals age. She is interested not only in evaluating brain function but also in figuring out whether stimulation can maintain the health of aging brains. The public television series, About Life (Part 2), is hosted by Robert Lipsyte, an Emmy winner and former New York Times columnist. The episodes include roundtable discussions, on-location field pieces, one-on-one interviews and video essays. Producers provide viewers with insights regarding health, finances, care giving, careers and other issues they will face as they pass into their senior years.
A groundbreaking study by UT Dallas’ Center for Vital Longevity is focusing on twins in an effort to answer some long-debated questions about the rival influences of nature vs. nurture. Researchers are seeking participants for the Texas Twins Study, which tests the genetic component of neurocognitive development among young adults. The study uses functional MRI technology to investigate brain activity among pairs of identical and fraternal twins. Dr. Denise Park, director of the Center for Vital Longevity, is conducting this work in collaboration with Dr. Thad Polk, the Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Psychology at The University of Michigan.

How can older adults stave off cognitive decline as they age? Can taking up hobbies improve cognitive function as we get older? UT Dallas neuroscientist Dr. Denise Park, one of the nation’s leading experts on the aging brain, is conducting a National Institutes of Health-funded study to find answers. To find what it takes to improve brain function in older people, Park, a UT System Regent’s Research Scholar and the T. Boone Pickens Distinguished University Chair in Clinical Brain Science, has recruited 400 Dallas residents over age 60 to participate in her “Synapse – Actively Engaging the Aging Mind” study. Synapse is designed to provide one of the first large-scale scientific investigations of the impact of stimulating leisure activities on the aging brain.

Dr. Denise Cortis Park, a talented scientist in the booming field of cognitive research of the aging, will join The University of Texas at Dallas in January as the T. Boone Pickens Distinguished Chair in Clinical Brain Science. The $2 million endowed chair is part of the University's School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, headed by Dr. Bert Moore. Park, who also will hold the title Regents' Research Scholar, will work closely with researchers in UT Dallas' Center for BrainHealth. Park's professional areas of interest include the neuroscience of memory and aging, as well as how cultural differences may affect patterns of neural activation. She is particularly interested in whether stimulating cognitive and social experiences can enhance brain function in older adults.
Funding
Neuroimaging of dedifferentiation and memory across the lifespan
$350,000 - National Institute on Aging [2018–2018]
Center for Healthy Minds
$350,000 - National Institute on Aging [2009–2010]
Impact of Exercise and Engagement on Cognition in Older Adults
$1,000,000 - National Institute on Aging Challenge Grant [2009–2011]
Competitive Supplement to Neuroimaging of Dedifferentiation and Memory across the Lifespan
$800,000 - National Institute on Aging [2009–2011]
Deposition, Aging and Neurocognitive Function
$200,000 - Alzheimer's Association IIRG. [2009–2010]