Lewy Body Dementia Association Logo

University of California, San Diego in San Diego, CA

    < Back to Research Centers

    About This Center

    The Research Center of Excellence is part of both the Memory Disorders Clinic and the Movement Disorders Clinics at UCSD. The combined centers educate and provide educational LBD materials to patients and caregivers. The UCSD ADRC leads a longstanding and very successful monthly support group for LBD patients and caregivers led by a social worker. The UCSD Movement Disorder Center holds conferences for patients with Parkinson’s disease three-four times per year, and includes information about cognition and DLB.

    Contact Information

    Clinic Name: UC San Diego Neurological Institute

    Contact name: Jo Talledo Benrubi
    Email: [email protected]
    Phone number: 858-246-2505
    Contact for: Clinical Trials

    Contact name: Lisa Damron, MS, CMC
    Email: [email protected]
    Phone number: 858-822-5873
    Contact for: Clinic Appointments

    Website: Neurological Institute

    Irene Litvan, MD

    Dr. Litvan is a Professor of Neurology at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) and Director of the National Parkinson Disease Movement Disorder Center of Excellence. She is a neurologist specialized in movement disorders, dementia and neuroepidemiology. She has developed two Movement Disorder Centers, one at the University of Louisville and the other at UCSD that have received a National Parkinson Foundation Center of Excellence designation. This designation recognizes top medical institutions featuring comprehensive care teams that meet every patient need, provide access to clinical studies and experimental therapies, and educate healthcare professionals as well as the community.

    Irene Litvan, MD photo

    Douglas Galasko, MD

    Dr. Galasko is the Director of the Clinical Core of the NIH-funded Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. He’s a neurologist with extensive clinical and research experience in dementia, including DLB. He practices in the Memory Disorders clinic at UCSD and at the VA Medical Center. He has served as an adviser to the LBDA for over 15 years. He helped to develop diagnostic clinical criteria for DLB in the 1990’s, and has participated in developing revisions to those criteria. Together with members of the ADRC Education Core at UCSD, Dr. Galasko helped write an NIA guide booklet to DLB for patients and families that has been widely distributed through ADEAR. He has conducted clinical research in DLB, including defining clinical and psychometric features, and studying genetic risk factors and biomarkers.

    Douglas Galasko, MD photo
    University of California, San Diego in San Diego, CA photo
    University of California, San Diego in San Diego, CA logo
    Loading map...

    Learn about LBD

    Educational resources to assist individuals with LBD, their families and healthcare providers.

    Program thumbnail

    Education & Support

    Find the the latest information and research to increase awareness and understanding of LBD.

    Program thumbnail

    Webinars

    LBDA's 2026 Community Webinar Series, Insights, Innovations & Everyday Impact, features a free, montly webinar to help you live optimally with Lewy.

    Program thumbnail

    Lewy Publications

    Information for patients, families and professionals.

    Donate callout

    JOIN THE FIGHTAGAINST LBD!

    Whether you give once, or throughout the year, give so that no one will face LBD alone. Give today.