Walter Swardfager

WORK HISTORY

EDUCATION

SKILLS

ABOUT WALTER SWARDFAGER

Dr. Swardfager is an Associate Professor and Associate Chair of Pharmacology & Toxicology at the University of Toronto, and a Scientist in the Hurvitz Brain Sciences Program at Sunnybrook Research Institute. He holds a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in the clinical pharmacology of cognitive neurovascular disorders.Dr. Swardfager’s lab focuses on understanding how disease and dysfunction of the cerebral small vessels contributes to mood and cognitive decline and the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. Dr. Swardfager leads a team grant from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research to accelerate the discovery of effective anti-inflammatory strategies to counter cerebral small vessel disease. He is the Principal Investigator of the Sunnybrook Type 2 Diabetes Study, an observational study aimed at understanding the biopsychosocial determinants of cognitive longevity for people living with type 2 diabetes, and the effects of antidiabetic medications on the brain.Dr. Swardfager\'s research contributions have been recognized with several prestigious awards, including an Academic Gold Medal awarded by the Office of the Governor General of Canada, and two international New Investigator awards in Neuropsychopharmacology. His commitment to training and mentorship have been recognized by two teaching awards from the Temerty Faculty of Medicine at the University of Toronto. Dr. Swardfager and his trainees have authored over 160 peer-reviewed publications which have accrued over citations (GS h-index 49).