Jefferson Kinney is the founding chair of the department of brain health in the School of Integrated Health Sciences. Kinney investigates neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease, vascular dementia, and Parkinson's disease, with a focus on cellular and molecular changes in the brain that underlie these disorders.
His current work includes investigating the role of several risk factors associated with Alzheimer’s disease and subtle changes in cell function, including interactions between diabetes and inflammation in the brain throughout the onset and progression of the disease. As part of this work, Kinney collaborates with the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas.
Earlier in his career, Kinney completed an Intramural Research Training Fellowship with the National Institute of Mental Health and the Helen Dorris Fellowship in schizophrenia research at The Scripps Research Institute.
UNLV’s new Department of Brain Health leads interdisciplinary effort to answer tough questions about traumatic brain injury.
Neuroscientist Jefferson Kinney's work with Ruvo Center for Brain Health is improving patient care while expanding opportunities for UNLV student learning.
Researcher knew there was a connection between diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease. Now they’ve discovered that introducing a brief sickness may help.
After completing my bachelor’s degree at UNLV, I decided to stay and work under Dr. Jefferson Kinney given that his research aligns with what I am interested in studying. Furthermore, the faculty in the Department of Brain Health are extremely talented and are all involved in vigorous and important research, prompting me to want to be part of the team.