Specializing in dementia and Alzheimer’s disease, neurologist Aaron McMurtray, MD, PhD, has joined Vanderbilt University Medical Center as associate professor of Neurology. He began seeing patients last August, taking appointments at Vanderbilt Neurology locations at both The Vanderbilt Clinic on the main campus and Vanderbilt Health One Hundred Oaks.
“We’ve been very pleased to welcome Aaron to our busy Division of Behavioral and Cognitive Neurology. His distinguished service and leadership background make him a tremendous new asset within our multidisciplinary Cognitive Disorders program,” said Dane Chetkovich, MD, PhD, Margaret and John Warner Professor and chair of the Department of Neurology.
McMurtray’s clinical interests include Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, progressive impairment of language capabilities (primary progressive aphasia), and mild cognitive impairment.
His research has focused on trials of new drugs for neurological disorders, and, more recently, on drug repurposing for Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis and other disorders.
“Caring for patients who are suffering from dementia is one of the most rewarding areas of medical practice,” McMurtray said. “There is an opportunity to help people manage a difficult illness and help family members know what to expect as the disease progresses. While the options for medical interventions are limited, there is the hope that research will result in the development of new medications and treatments that could improve care in the future.”
McMurtray received his undergraduate degree in chemistry and biology from Claremont McKenna College in Claremont, California; his MD from Vanderbilt University; and his PhD in biomedical sciences from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. He completed neurology residency at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, followed by a fellowship in behavioral neurology and neuropsychiatry at the University of California at Los Angeles and the West Los Angeles VA Medical Center.
Prior to joining VUMC, McMurtray served as associate professor of Neurology at UCLA and medical director, Dementia Clinics, UCLA Health.
McMurtray is a past member of the board of directors of the California Neurological Society and a past president of the Los Angeles Neurological Society.
To make an appointment, call Vanderbilt Neurology at 615-936-0060.