Breton Asken, PhD, ATC

Dr. Asken's research broadly focuses on clinico-pathological heterogeneity across the spectrum of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRDs). He has specific interests in how lifetime head trauma exposure relates to clinical and neuropathological variability among patients with ADRD, including chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE). This work involves using a combination of neuropsychological testing, fluid-based biomarkers (blood, CSF), neuroimaging, and neuropathology to address the links between head trauma and dementia. Dr. Asken is especially interested in how biomarkers and cognitive testing can help improve diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of mixed etiology dementia, or progressive cognitive/behavioral decline in later life due to multiple co-existing neurodegenerative diseases. Prior work focused on fluid biomarkers and recovery outcomes associated with sport-related concussion, and this experience relates directly to his current interests in the later-life neurological effects of head trauma exposure, especially among former athletes. Dr. Asken has active collaborations with investigators across UF as well as multiple institutions around the country.

Individuals interested in Dr. Asken's research lab may have diverse goals and experiences. While an ideal "fit" is someone pursuing a clinical-research career in neuropsychology and hoping to study how head trauma exposure relates to later-life neurological conditions like dementia, Dr. Asken welcomes a broad range of interests within the field of aging/Alzheimer's disease and related causes of dementia. At a bare minimum, Dr. Asken's expectation as a research mentor is that trainees will leave their experience excited to apply the knowledge gained about neurodegenerative syndromes and the brain changes that can cause them to their own research, clinical work, or both.