UTD Celebrates Work of Center for Vital Longevity Founder

Dr. Denise C. Park, the founding director of the Center for Vital Longevity (CVL), retired from The University of Texas at Dallas on May 31, leaving a legacy of advancing the understanding of the neuroscience of aging.

Park, a professor of psychology and the Distinguished University Chair in Behavioral and Brain Sciences, established CVL in 2010 and served for 15 years as the driving force behind its mission to understand how the brain develops and changes throughout life, and to identify ways to maintain cognitive health into old age. Under Park’s leadership, CVL became an internationally recognized force in cognitive neuroscience, and its researchers collaborated with peers at acclaimed institutions around the world.

“I’ve always been curious about how the mind works — how we think and imagine things,” Park said. “That interest really took off during my first semester of college when I got fascinated by memory. Ever since then, I’ve been studying the aging mind. It’s been 55 years now, counting my time as an undergrad, in grad school and as a faculty member.”

Park pioneered aging-related neuroscience research, focusing on how the speed and capacity of the brain changes as we get older, how cultural experiences shape brain activity, and how the aging brain might protect itself from structural degradation to maintain performance.

“Dr. Denise Park is a pioneer of the aging brain, cognitive aging and dementia,” said Dr. Adam J. Woods, dean of the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences (BBS) and the Aage and Margareta Møller Distinguished Professor in Behavioral and Brain Sciences. “She has created one of the most vibrant and talented research centers in the world. The impact of CVL is a testament to her impact and her groundbreaking research over these past decades. It is no exaggeration to say that her research and reputation are world class, and by extension, she has elevated BBS and UTD as a result of her passion and brilliance.”

“She has created one of the most vibrant and talented research centers in the world. The impact of CVL is a testament to her impact and her groundbreaking research over these past decades. It is no exaggeration to say that her research and reputation are world class, and by extension, she has elevated BBS and UTD as a result of her passion and brilliance.”

Dr. Adam J. Woods, dean of the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences

In 2008, shortly after arriving at UT Dallas, Park launched the Dallas Lifespan Brain Study, a landmark longitudinal project tracking brain and behavior changes in adults of all ages in the search for ways to predict which middle-aged adults would not age well, in addition to who might be at risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. With more than a decade of data, researchers are working to identify a neural footprint during middle age that can be used to predict future cognitive health or pathology.

She also created the Dallas Aging and Cognition Conference (DACC), a biennial conference first held in 2010 that brings international researchers to Dallas to share the latest scientific findings on aging and cognition.

“Denise brought to UTD not only experience and prestige, but also a track record of success. Recognizing the importance of making a significant impact as UTD grew, she realized her vision by founding the CVL and later establishing the DACC, which helped put both the CVL and UTD on the map,” said Dr. Michael Rugg, CVL director, professor of psychology and the Distinguished Chair in Behavioral and Brain Sciences.

Park said she is proud of the outstanding faculty and quality of work being done at CVL.

“We have nine faculty members, each running their own lab and exploring different parts of how the mind works. They’re doing amazing research, and they do it with such high confidence and skill,” she said. “The work that they are doing is helping lay the groundwork for solving big challenges like Alzheimer’s disease, and it’s also leading to new ways to help people keep their minds sharp as they age.”

Dr. Karen Rodrigue was recruited by Park in 2008 as a postdoctoral fellow to help launch Park’s lab. She was soon joined by another postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Kristen Kennedy. Both are now professors of psychology in BBS and at CVL.

“The Center for Vital Longevity would not exist without Dr. Park’s groundbreaking research, accomplishments, tireless efforts and energy,” Rodrigue said.

Kennedy said, “I believe Denise’s influence — and that of the center — was significantly magnified when she launched the Dallas Aging and Cognition Conference. Today, nearly everyone in the field has heard of DACC, if not attended it or presented their research there.”

Park is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Association for Psychological Science, and a recipient of the American Psychological Association’s award for Distinguished Contributions to the Psychology of Aging.

Park joined the UT Dallas faculty in 2008 and previously held professorships at the University of Georgia, the University of Michigan, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Park earned a Bachelor of Arts in psychology from Albion College in Michigan and a PhD in experimental psychology from the State University of New York at Albany.

“Looking back, I feel really good about the path I’ve taken,” Park said. “I’ve had the chance to work with 45 PhD students and postdocs over the years, and I’m so proud of them. Seeing their achievements has been one of the most rewarding parts of my career.”