Chiadi Onyike, MD, a neuropsychiatrist and director of Johns Hopkins University’s Frontotemporal Dementia and Young-Onset Dementias Clinic, has been named the new chair of the AFTD Medical Advisory Council.

Dr. Onyike takes the reins of the council at a time when global FTD awareness and clinical trials for potential FTD treatments are gaining momentum.

“It’s hard to believe how far FTD science has advanced in recent years, but there is still much work to be done,” Dr. Onyike said. “I look forward to furthering this progress with my fellow council members, who represent some of today’s brightest minds in FTD care and research.”

As chair, Dr. Onyike says he will continue the important work done by his predecessors – including immediate past chair Dr. Bradford Dickerson, MD, of Harvard University – while encouraging deeper, more frequent collaboration with AFTD staff, particularly on emerging developments in FTD clinical care and prevention.

Another goal that Dr. Onyike has set for his term is to encourage Medical Advisory Council members to become public faces of FTD science. “The FTD field is poised for significant breakthroughs in treatments and care,” he said. “The AFTD Medical Advisory Council should be the public’s go-to source for knowledgeable voices who can explain those breakthroughs as they happen – why they are important, what they mean for the FTD community, and how they can further dementia research and care generally.”

Throughout his career, Dr. Onyike has worked to diagnose and care for people with FTD and other young-onset dementias. He has also conducted important research into the epidemiology and treatment of FTD and other neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease and Lewy body dementia.

He brings a depth of experience advising national and international research agencies and philanthropic organizations, including AFTD, the National Institutes of Health, and the Food and Drug Administration in the U.S., the Medical Research Council in the U.K., the Tau Consortium, and other partners.

The 29 volunteer members of the Medical Advisory Council provide AFTD with the medical, scientific, and research expertise necessary to advance our mission.

Dr. Onyike’s term as chair will last until 2028. Current Medical Advisory Council member and chair-elect Carmela Tartaglia, MD, of the University of Toronto, will succeed him.

“Our Medical Advisory Council is a crucial resource for AFTD guiding us in setting a strategic, impactful agenda and working to ensure that our efforts are successful in moving toward accurate diagnosis, effective therapies, and equal access to appropriate and compassionate services,” said AFTD CEO Susan L-J Dickinson, MSGC.

“With Dr. Onyike at the helm, and Dr. Tartaglia to follow, our community is clearly in good hands for many, many years to come,” she said.