Dr. Scarmeas was born and raised in Athens, Greece. After obtaining his MD from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, he moved to the United States, where he completed a Neurology residency, a two-year clinical fellowship in Aging and Dementia, and a Master’s degree in Biostatistics and Epidemiology at Columbia University Medical Center. He is currently Professor of Neurology at the Medical School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, while maintaining an academic affiliation with Columbia University in New York.

His research interests include cognitive reserve (i.e., how higher IQ, education, more demanding occupational attainment, and greater engagement in cognitive, social, and physical leisure and lifestyle activities can help older adults better cope with brain damage caused by Alzheimer’s disease and aging, thereby reducing their risk of dementia and slowing cognitive and functional decline). In addition, he has extensively investigated the role of diet—particularly composite dietary patterns such as the Mediterranean diet and others—in relation to dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, cognition, and other aspects of aging.

Dr Scarmeas has been the Principal Investigator in studies funded by either the Alzheimer’s Association or the NIH-NIA and a Co-Investigator in multiple others. His research work has resulted in multiple original PubMed publications in international journals and multiple presentations in internationally acclaimed scientific conferences and meetings. He reviews for multiple international scientific journals and international funding agencies including the Alzheimer’s Association, the NIH, and various European Union programs.