Gopal Thinakaran, PhD

Dr. Gopal Thinakaran is a leading Alzheimer’s disease researcher and Professor in the Department of Molecular Medicine at the University of South Florida Morsani College of Medicine, where he also serves as CEO of the Byrd Alzheimer’s Institute, and Co-Director of ERA PREP. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Guelph, Canada, and completed postdoctoral training at Johns Hopkins University before leading a research group at the University of Chicago for two decades.

For more than 20 years, his lab has explored the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying Alzheimer’s disease, including amyloid precursor protein trafficking, β-amyloid production, and the role of BIN1 in tau pathology and neuroinflammation. His team uses a wide range of experimental approaches—from advanced microscopy and spatial transcriptomics to transgenic models—to better understand how these processes drive disease progression.

Dr. Thinakaran’s research has been continuously funded by the NIH since 2001 and supported by numerous foundations, including BrightFocus, Cure Alzheimer’s Fund, and the Alzheimer’s Association. He has published over 150 papers, with more than 15,000 citations, and is internationally recognized for his contributions to the field. His honors include the Alzheimer’s Association Zenith Fellows Award and the John Q. Trojanowski Memorial Award from the CART Foundation.

A dedicated mentor, Dr. Thinakaran has trained more than 30 postdoctoral fellows and graduate students, 15 international interns, and over 60 undergraduate researchers. Many of his trainees have gone on to careers in academia, medicine, and biomedical research. He currently mentors several Ph.D., M.D.-Ph.D., and undergraduate students and serves on multiple thesis committees.

As Co-Director of ERA PREP, Dr. Thinakaran brings exceptional research expertise and a strong commitment to training the next generation of neuroscientists.