Suvarna Alladi, PhD

Professor and Head of Neurology | National Institute of Mental Health and Nuerosciences, Bangladore, India

Biography

Dr. Alladi is Professor and Head of the Department of Neurology at the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences in Bangalore, India where she coordinates a large multidisciplinary service for persons living with dementia. Her main areas of interest are Alzheimer’s Disease, Vascular Cognitive Impairment and Frontotemporal Dementia. Dr. Alladi’s work focuses on investigating the complex influence of life-course experiences, especially bilingualism, education, social engagement and skills, on the development of resilience against dementia. To overcome the limited availability of diagnostic tests for dementia in diverse linguistic and educational contexts, she coordinated a country-wide effort to adapt and validate a neurocognitive battery, called the ICMR Neurocognitive toolbox for different Indian languages. Dr. Alladi co-founded the Hyderabad Deccan chapter of the NGO Alzheimer’s and Related Disorders Society, which provides support, creates awareness, and advocates for families of persons living with dementia. She further leads The Karnataka Brain Health Initiative, an innovative public health project of the Government of Karnataka, called which aims to provide a model of care for neurological diseases in low-resource settings and to promote brain health at the grassroot level. She is World Dementia Council Member, Chair of The Alzheimer's Association International Society to Advance Alzheimer's Research and Treatment (ISTAART) International Advisory Council.