Erica Littlejohn, PhD

Dr. Erica Littlejohn is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Behavioral Science, Center for Health, Engagement, and Transformation, and the Sanders-Brown Center on Aging. Her research focuses on childhood maltreatment’s impact on the risk and progression of cognitive impairment and dementia across the lifespan, as well as the mechanism(s) driving it’s neuropathology. Her population research centers on investigating how adverse social determinants of health (SDOH) contribute to negative neurological outcomes amongst diverse populations. Dr. Littlejohn was a part of the team of renown experts that recently authored the SDOH Research Framework, Determinants of Inequities in Neurologic Disease, Health, and Well-being for the NIH National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). As a result of her neurologic research focus on SDOH and Adverse Childhood Experience screening, she serves as an external science representative on the NINDS General Common Data Elements Steering Committee. In addition to her research amongst special populations, her expertise in neurological disease health inequities and strong pre-clinical research background have uniquely positioned her translational research program to advance treatment and interventions to eliminate health disparities.