
Wharton lab
Meet Our Team
The Whitney Wharton Lab at Emory University is a dedicated team that is focused on advancing Alzheimer’s disease (AD) prevention, with particular attention to how midlife vascular risk factors influence AD biomarkers. Led by Dr. Whitney Wharton, the team works collaboratively to explore targeted strategies to prevent and slow the progression of Alzheimer's, especially in populations at higher risk. Meet our amazing team below!
Whitney Wharton, PhD
Cognitive Neuroscientist
Principal Investigator

​Dr. Wharton is a cognitive neuroscientist specializing in the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and related disorders.
She received her BA from the University of Texas at Austin and went on to complete her doctoral training at The George Washington University in Washington DC. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
Her research focuses on identifying the mechanisms contributing to Alzheimer’s including vascular risk factors, and inflammatory markers in blood and spinal fluid in individuals who are at risk for the disease due to a parental history. She conducts both observational and clinical trials, all of which enroll participants from underserved groups, including women, Black/African American individuals, and the LGBTQIA+ community.
Dr. Wharton is currently conducting multiple NIH/NIA funded studies including 1) investigating the influence of sex hormones in CSF and blood on AD and inflammatory biomarkers, peripheral arterial function, sleep and cognition 2) investigating the extent to which antihypertensive medications may alter AD neuropathology in African Americans 3) a national study designed to improve aging related resources and ensure research inclusivity among LGBTQIA+ individuals with ADRD and LGBTQIA caregivers. 4) and a multi-center trial of a dietary supplement unique to the Japanese diet (equol) in older adults without dementia. This trial tests the hypotheses that equol will slow the progression of arterial stiffness, white matter lesions, and cognitive decline.
Our Collaborators


Lab Alumni
Kelly Likos
Clinical Research Coordinator III
Rayan Virani
Undergraduate Research Assistant
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Bruno Hammerschlag III
Undergraduate Research Assistant
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Nivi Nimmigadda
Undergraduate Research Assistant
Leanne Jeong
Undergraduate Research Assistant
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Leah Elster
Research Interviewer
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Winnie N. Jacobs, MPH
Clinical Research Coordinator
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Harry Huang
Undergraduate Research Assistant
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Morgan Hecker
Clinical Research Coordinator
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Veronique King
Clinical Research Coordinator
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Jaime Schechner
Undergraduate Research Assistant
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Carolyn Zhou
Undergraduate Research Assistant
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Alexandra Nutaitis
Undergraduate Research Assistant
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Sonum Tharwani
Undergraduate Research Assistant
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Alexandra Brown
Undergraduate Research Assistant
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Ryan Shin
Undergraduate Research Assistant
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McKayla Williams
Undergraduate Research Assistant
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Veena Kumar
Medical Student Research Assistant