Las Vegas – Marwan Sabbagh, M.D., will join the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health as the new director, effective Monday, May 1. A leading Alzheimer’s disease investigator, Sabbagh brings more than 27 years of experience in the field, most recently serving as the director of the Alzheimer’s Disease and Memory Disorders Division at Barrow Neurological Institute at Dignity Health St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix.

Dr. Sabbagh succeeds Jeffrey Cummings, M.D., who has served as director of the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health since 2010 and will hold the title of founding director as he transitions into a new, advisory role.

“In just eight years the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health has become one of the largest and leading clinical trial sites in the country, while delivering unparalleled patient care. Finding a successor to Dr. Cummings was a monumental task and I am encouraged by Dr. Sabbagh’s enthusiasm, expertise and desire to continue the standard of excellence Cleveland Clinic is known for,” said Andre Machado, M.D., chairman of the Cleveland Clinic’s Neurological Institute. “I am confident that under Dr. Sabbagh’s leadership, the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health will continue to lead the path to discovery for the research and treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.”

Dr. Sabbagh received his residency training in neurology at Baylor College of Medicine and completed his fellowship training in geriatric neurology and dementia under renowned Alzheimer’s disease experts, Leon Thal, M.D., and Robert Katzman, M.D., at the University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine. In alignment with the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health’s devotion to advancing clinical research, Sabbagh is an eminent clinician, researcher and author, having penned more than 300 medical and scientific articles on Alzheimer’s disease and research as well as four books.

“Joining the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health is a dream come true for me and an opportunity to make a profound impact on the lives of both patients and caregivers through driving conversation about these diseases and propelling critical research,” said Dr. Sabbagh. “There are few institutes that rival the scope of the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health’s clinical trial program, and I truly believe that in this exceptional environment I can accomplish in one year what would have taken me 10 at another facility.”

As an emerging leader in research, with a focus in proactive brain health, Sabbagh was attracted to the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health for the capacity of its clinical trials program, specifically citing its resources, reach and scale. As a world-renowned site for the most cutting-edge clinical trials in Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis, the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health conducts innovative research that explores new drugs, new biomarkers and new technologies. As director, Dr. Sabbagh will work closely with Dr. Cummings and the center’s staff to improve the lives of both patients and caregivers affected by brain diseases and pursue transitional research aimed at identifying new treatment options.

“In my time at the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, the way we think about Alzheimer’s disease has shifted from a focus on treatment to prevention, and I believe this shift requires a new perspective, which is why I am delighted to hand the reigns to Dr. Sabbagh,” said Jeffrey Cummings, M.D., director of the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health. “Dr. Sabbagh brings with him an exceptional pursuit of innovation in both patient care and clinical research, and I look forward to seeing the tremendous strides the center will make under his leadership.”

For additional information about Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, visit ClevelandClinic.org/BrainHealth.