Dr. Head studied at the University of Toronto, Canada where she obtained her BSc, MA, and PhD in neuroscience in 1997 before moving to the University of California, Irvine and completing postdoctoral training in MIND. Until 2009, Dr. Head served as an Assistant Professor and Director of the Brain Tissue Repository for the UCI Alzheimer disease research center at the University of California, Irvine. Dr. Head then became a Professor and Associate Director of Education at the University of Kentucky’s Sanders Brown Center on Aging where she established a Down syndrome aging and Alzheimer disease research study. In 2019, Dr. Head returned to the University of California, Irvine and resumed her position as Director of the Brain Tissue Repository and now also serves as a Professor and Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. In her free time, she enjoys video games, cooking and being with friends.
(she/her/hers)

Dr. Ira T. Lott is a child neurologist at the University of California, Irvine and CHOC Children’s Hospital. He graduated from Ohio State University College of Medicine and received his training in pediatrics, neurology, and child neurology through the Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School. He served as a Clinical Research Associate at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. He was on the faculty at Harvard Medical School as Clinical Director of the Eunice Kennedy Schriver Center for Mental Retardation from 1974-1983.

In 1983, Dr. Lott was recruited to the University of California, Irvine where he has been a tenured professor. In 2012, he became Emeritus Professor. He served as Director for the Division of Child Neurology from 1983-2011 and Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics from 1990-2000. He directed the ACGME Child Neurology Residency Program at UCI from 1983-2011. In May 2000, he assumed the title of Associate Dean, Clinical Neuroscience for UCI’s School of Medicine. Currently he directs the Telemedicine program for the UCI Health Sciences. Dr. Lott is a standing member of the Developmental Biology Study Section at NICHD and has served on many ad-hoc NIH committees.

Dr. Lott’s research interest is focused on development and aging in Down syndrome. He received two national awards for his research and has been commended by the California State Senate for his work on behalf of individuals with intellectual disabilities. He served as Chairman of the Scientific Advisory Board of the National Down Syndrome Society and is a Board member of the Down Syndrome Association of Orange County. Dr. Lott’s research has been supported by the NIH, Alzheimer’s Association, and the State of California.