Christopher H. van Dyck, MD, is a psychiatrist specializing in the study and treatment of Alzheimer's disease and brain aging. He directs the Alzheimer's Disease Research Unit, the Yale Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, and the Division of Aging and Geriatric Psychiatry.
Dr. van Dyck's expertise lies in neuroimaging and therapeutic studies for Alzheimer’s disease. He has developed several imaging advancements that have significantly impacted understanding the progression of Alzheimer’s disease from its earliest stages.
Dr. van Dyck has participated in more than 100 clinical trials for Alzheimer’s disease, from early-stage to advanced research. He was the lead author on the study that established lecanemab as the first disease-modifying treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. Lecanemab, approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), targets amyloid plaques in the brain, slowing cognitive and functional decline in early-stage Alzheimer’s patients.
“It’s very exciting because this is the first treatment in our history that shows an unequivocal slowing of decline in Alzheimer’s disease,” Dr. van Dyck says.
Also the Elizabeth Mears and House Jameson Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology, and Neuroscience at Yale School of Medicine, Dr. van Dyck completed his medical training at Northwestern University and postdoctoral training at Yale School of Medicine. He has received numerous accolades, including the Leader in Advancing Research Award from the Alzheimer’s Association and the Distinguished Scientist Award from the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry.
