G. William Rebeck, Ph.D.

G. William Rebeck, Ph.D, Professor of Neuroscience and Director, Interdisciplinary Program in Neuroscience, is an expert on genetic risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease. APOE, which is involved in cholesterol transport in the body, is the strongest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's. Rebeck's work on APOE has clarified the role of family history in Alzheimer's. Rebeck and his laboratory take unique approaches to understand the normal biological functions of genes related to Alzheimer’s and what goes wrong with them to cause the disease. This research has led to preclinical trials testing therapeutic approaches that may one day prevent Alzheimer's and also is helping researchers understand how the brain responds to other types of damage, such as traumatic brain injury. Rebeck has earned numerous federal research grants and regularly reviews grant proposals for the NIH.  He has published more than 100 original research articles on Alzheimer’s Disease. 

Dr. Rebeck grew up in Cincinnati, OH.  He received a bachelor’s degree from Cornell University (majoring in Chemistry) and a PhD from Harvard University (in Toxicology).  He began studying Alzheimer’s disease in 1991 in Germany on a Fulbright Fellowship and then did research for more than ten years at Massachusetts General Hospital.  He has been at Georgetown University since 2003.