University of California San Francisco, Iraq
Profile
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🎓 Early Academic Pursuits
Dr. Tanisha G. Hill-Jarrett began her academic journey at the University of Pittsburgh, where she graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and a minor in Neuroscience in 2010. Her honors thesis, supervised by Dr. Anne Germain, focused on the neurobiological correlates of insomnia and depression during NREM sleep, showcasing an early interest in the intersection of brain function and mental health. She pursued her graduate education at the University of Florida, earning both an M.S. and a Ph.D. in Clinical & Health Psychology with a concentration in Clinical Neuropsychology. Her doctoral work emphasized attention systems and white matter changes post-traumatic brain injury, under the mentorship of Drs. Russell Bauer and William Perlstein. Her clinical acumen was sharpened during a predoctoral internship in Adult/Geriatric Neuropsychology at Emory University and Grady Memorial Hospital.
🧠 Professional Endeavors
Following her Ph.D., Dr. Hill-Jarrett completed a Neuropsychology Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Michigan, focusing on geriatric neuropsychology and Alzheimer’s Disease. She later became an Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health at UCSF’s Global Brain Health Institute and then secured a T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship in Alzheimer’s Disease and Brain Health Equity at the UCSF Memory and Aging Center. In 2019, she joined the University of South Florida as a Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurosurgery & Brain Repair. Currently, she serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Neurology at UCSF, affiliated with both the Memory and Aging Center and the BALANCE (Global Neurology, Neuroinfectious Diseases, and Health Equity) Program.
🔬 Contributions and Research Focus
Dr. Hill-Jarrett's research lies at the confluence of neuropsychology, cognitive aging, and health equity. She is particularly interested in understanding how structural racism, gender disparities, and social determinants influence Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias (ADRD) in underrepresented populations, particularly Black women. Her work integrates neuroimaging, psychometric evaluation, and mixed methods, aiming to translate community-anchored research into policy and practice.
📈 Impact and Influence
Her grant portfolio, primarily funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA), underscores her influence in the field. She is the Principal Investigator (PI) on a $988,090 K23 award investigating how structural gendered racism impacts Black women's cognitive aging. She is also a Co-Investigator (Co-I) and Site PI on several multi-million-dollar projects like the TIME-AD, Healthy Aging in African Americans, and Longitudinal Neighborhood Disadvantage and AD Risk studies, collectively accounting for over $10 million in funding. These projects highlight her leadership in community-based, culturally relevant dementia research.
📚 Academic Citations & Scholarly Output
Dr. Hill-Jarrett’s scholarly contributions are recognized across neuropsychological and gerontological communities. While specific citation metrics are not provided here, her inclusion in major NIA-funded initiatives and her roles as PI and Co-I demonstrate strong academic visibility and influence in translational neuroscience and public health equity.
💻 Technical & Clinical Skills
Dr. Hill-Jarrett brings a robust set of technical skills to her work, including advanced neuropsychological assessment, structural and functional neuroimaging analysis, electrophysiological methodologies (ERP/EEG), and mixed-methods research design. She also possesses expertise in program evaluation, community-based participatory research, and working with vulnerable and minoritized older adult populations.
🧑🏫 Teaching and Mentorship
In her faculty roles, Dr. Hill-Jarrett has served as a clinical supervisor, research mentor, and classroom educator. She teaches topics in clinical neuropsychology, health disparities, and aging. She is dedicated to fostering the next generation of diverse clinician-scientists, advocating for inclusive education and equitable access to training opportunities.
🌍 Legacy and Future Contributions
Dr. Hill-Jarrett is poised to leave a lasting legacy in the field of health equity in brain aging. Her pioneering work on the social determinants of cognitive decline among Black women addresses critical gaps in current dementia research paradigms. As she continues to develop culturally competent models of brain health care and intervention, her influence will likely extend to policy reform, health education, and global equity initiatives. Her interdisciplinary approach aligns research, advocacy, and practice, ensuring meaningful, community-informed advancements in the fight against Alzheimer’s Disease.
📚 Selected Publications
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Title: Contribution of Global Amyloid-PET Imaging for Predicting Future Cognition in the MEMENTO Cohort
Authors: Sarah Ackley, Camilla Calmasini, Vincent Bouteloup, Tanisha G. Hill-Jarrett, Kaitlin N. Swinnerton, Geneviève Chêne, Carole Dufouil, M.M. Glymour
Journal: Neurology
Year: 2024
Title: Associations of Everyday and Lifetime Experiences of Discrimination With Willingness to Undergo Alzheimer Disease Predictive Testing
Authors: Tanisha G. Hill-Jarrett, Minhyuk Choi, Peter T. Buto, Silvia Miramontes, Marilyn D. Thomas, Yulin Yang, Min Hee Kim, Kendra D. Sims, M. Maria Glymour
Journal: Neurology
Year: 2024
Title: Gendered racism and subjective cognitive complaints among older black women: The role of depression and coping
Authors: Tanisha G. Hill-Jarrett, Martinque K. Jones
Journal: The Clinical Neuropsychologist
Year: 2022
Title: The Role of Coping in the Relationship Between Endorsement of the Strong Black Woman Schema and Depressive Symptoms Among Black Women
Authors: Martinque K. Jones, Tanisha G. Hill-Jarrett, Kyjeila Latimer, Akilah Reynolds, Nekya Garrett, Ivyonne Harris, Stephanie Joseph, Alexis Jones
Journal: Journal of Black Psychology
Year: 2021
Title: Education differentially contributes to cognitive reserve across racial/ethnic groups
Authors: Tanisha G. Hill-Jarrett
Journal: Alzheimer’s & Dementia
Year: 2021
DOI: 10.1002/alz.12176