Luke E Stoeckel, PhD
About Luke E Stoeckel, PhD
Luke E. Stoeckel, PhD, serves as the Director of the Decision Neuroscience Program at the National Institute on Aging, focusing on neuropsychiatric diseases and their relationship with obesity and diabetes. He has held various academic and clinical positions, including roles at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and has a strong background in clinical neuropsychology and cognitive neuroscience.
Current Role at National Institutes of Health
Luke E Stoeckel, PhD, serves as the Director of the Decision Neuroscience Program at the National Institute on Aging, a position he has held since 2019. In this role, he focuses on the intersection of neuropsychiatric diseases and risk factors such as obesity and diabetes. His research aims to identify novel therapeutics for disorders like dementia, including Alzheimer's disease, and investigates brain-behavior relationships in both normal development and aging.
Previous Experience in Clinical Neuropsychology
Prior to his current role, Stoeckel worked at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School as a Clinical Neuropsychologist from 2009 to 2014. He also served as an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Harvard Medical School from 2012 to 2014. His earlier experience includes a Clinical Neuropsychology Internship at Massachusetts General Hospital from 2008 to 2009 and a position as a Research Affiliate at McLean Hospital and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology during the same period.
Educational Background and Training
Stoeckel earned his Ph.D. in Medical (Clinical) Psychology/Neuroscience from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he studied from 2003 to 2009. He completed postdoctoral training in clinical neuropsychology and cognitive neuroscience at prestigious institutions, including Massachusetts General Hospital, McLean Hospital, MIT, and Harvard Medical School. He also holds an A.B. in Psychology from Harvard University, which he completed from 1997 to 2001.
Research Focus and Contributions
Stoeckel's research encompasses behavior change, prevention, and intervention solutions for COVID-19, as well as the neuropsychological sequelae of SARS-CoV2 infection. He aims to understand the impact of neuropsychiatric diseases in relation to obesity and diabetes, contributing to the development of therapeutic strategies for cognitive disorders. His work emphasizes the importance of understanding brain-behavior relationships across different stages of life.
Early Career and Initial Roles
Stoeckel began his career as a Research Assistant at Harvard University in 2002. He later worked as a Case Manager at Apalachee Center, Inc. from 2002 to 2003. His diverse experiences in clinical settings and research environments have shaped his expertise in neuropsychology and cognitive neuroscience.