Tribute to Professor Carl Cotman (1940-2024)

Exceptionally gifted. A risk-taker. Dedicated to transforming human health. This acclaim and more describe Carl Cotman, Distinguished Professor, Emeritus in the Departments of Neurology in UCI’s School of Medicine and Neurobiology & Behavior in the Charlie Dunlop School of Biological Sciences. Professor Cotman, who passed away on August 5, 2024, was an early and constant leading light in the fight against Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative conditions. Key in building UCI’s world-class stature, he inspired researchers around the globe.

Professor Cotman examined what causes neurons to degenerate and how to help the brain age successfully. His unflagging curiosity sparked his research. When he started wondering why the aging process seemed slower in physically active people, he set out to investigate.

It led to his celebrated discovery that exercise significantly increases the protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Known as BDNF, this factor protects existing neurons, helps grow new ones, and assists in memory formation. This finding and his numerous others continue as guideposts for neuroscientific research into aging and age-related brain disease. In total, he wrote or co-wrote nine books and authored over 670 articles on multiple facets of neuroscience, including 21 papers in Science and Nature.

Professor Cotman held several leadership posts, including founding the UC Irvine Institute for Brain Aging & Dementia, now UCI MIND, and directing it for over two decades. UCI MIND is home to UCI’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (ADRC), a network of 30 national centers of excellence devoted to dementia research and funded by the National Institute on Aging. Indeed, UCI, in partnership with USC, was one of the initial 5 centers in this prestigious network, launching a prominent and distinguished history in dementia research at UCI.

Professor Cotman was a member of numerous professional associations and committees, including the National Institute on Aging Task Force. He chaired the Alzheimer’s Association’s Scientific Advisory Council and the Scientific Advisory Board of the American Paralysis Association, now part of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. He also served on the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and Other Dementias’ editorial board and those of additional publications.

A long list of honors was bestowed upon him. Among them are the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference’s Lifetime Achievement Award in Alzheimer’s Disease Research and the National Institute on Aging Leadership and Excellence in Alzheimer’s Disease Award. Other recognitions included the Council on Aging and Adult Development’s Herbert deVries Research Award; ISI Highly Cited Researchers; and Co-Recipient, Reeve-Irvine Research Medal. He received the 2004 UCI Medal for dedication in research, teaching and community service.

Professor Cotman majored in chemistry at The College of Wooster and earned a master’s in analytical chemistry from Wesleyan University. He received a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Indiana University in 1968 and joined UCI the same year. In 2003, three and a half decades into his storied career, the journal Neurochemical Research dedicated an entire edition to him and his achievements. It was filled with articles by his peers, including former students. One author observed that “His ability to make the direct transition from graduate student to independent investigator was a clear early indicator of his extraordinary talent.” Another said, “In addition to his specific scientific contributions, Carl has been an influential leader in advocating the mining of neuroscience for medical benefit.” Other writers singled out his “enthusiasm for science and his ability to transfer this enthusiasm to his co-workers,” his willingness to take risks, openness to fresh ideas, and that he was “ahead of the curve: a distinguished basic neuroscientist pushing the translational envelope before doing so became popular.

The faculty and staff of the Dunlop School, the School of Medicine, and UCI MIND extend our sincere condolences and thoughts to Professor Cotman’s wife Carol Cotman and children Adrian Ayers, Danna Cotman, Dan Cotman and Cheryl Cotman. Information about services will be forthcoming. The family has requested that individuals wishing to pay tribute to Carl’s legacy make a donation to UCI MIND in his honor.

We hold in our hearts admiration for this colleague and friend who even amid his many accomplishments was always excited about the newest possibilities. Carl told attendees at a SoCal Alzheimer’s Disease Research Conference that “science doesn’t stay quiet for very long.” Professor Cotman’s influence will continue to speak to us as we move forward on changing the future for the better.

Frank LaFerla, PhD
Dr. Lionel and Fay Ng Dean and Distinguished Professor Charlie Dunlop School of Biological Sciences

Michael J. Stamos, MD
Dean, UCI School of Medicine

Joshua D. Grill, PhD
Director, UCI Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders