Erik Roberson, M.D., Ph.D. is a member of the UAB Center for Neurodegeneration and Experimental Therapeutics (CNET) and holds a secondary appointment in the Department of Neurobiology. Dr. Roberson joined UAB in August, 2008 as the Virginia B. Spencer Scholar in Neuroscience.

A physician-scientist, Dr. Roberson’s primary interest is age-related memory disorders and neurodegenerative disease. His goal is to improve the treatment options available to aid patients and families afflicted with these disorders.  Dr. Roberson directs a disease-related research laboratory and sees patients in the UAB Memory Disorders Clinic.

Dr. Roberson's lab is interested in the neurobiological basis of Alzheimer's Disease and Frontotemporal Dementia, with a focus on understanding the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms that will lead to better treatments. The lab applies modern neuroscience techniques to study animal and cellular models of these conditions. Dr. Roberson has shown that reducing expression of the microtubule-associated protein tau makes the brain resistant to Alzheimer-related impairments, and his lab is using a variety of behavioral, electrophysiological, and biochemical techniques to better understand this protective effect. The lab is also studying animal models of frontotemporal dementia to understand how mutations in tau and progranulin cause the social and behavioral dysfunction seen in this condition.