Noble Lifecourse Program

Location and Contact Information

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital
622 W 168th Street
New York, NY 10032
United States

Principal Investigator

Dr. Noble, Yejin Lee, Kunsorya Chhea, Artie Green, Catalina Alvarez, Sandra Minchala, and Easy AD present the final Old SCHOOL study program, Bronx NY, May 2023

Dr. Noble, Yejin Lee, Kunsorya Chhea, Artie Green, Catalina Alvarez, Sandra Minchala, and Easy AD present the final Old SCHOOL study program, Bronx NY, May 2023

The Noble Lifecourse Program is an epidemiologically focused research initiative with projects framed by 3 main goals: a) identifying and creating novel and innovative approaches to complex neurological problems, b) providing expertise in clinical fields and the communities they impact and c) identifying and mitigating significant health disparities. Projects are recognized for addressing difficult problems using outside-the-box, yet data-driven scientifically-grounded, approaches.

Research Overview

James M. Noble, MD, MS, CPH, FAAN

James M. Noble, MD, MS, CPH, FAAN at the Milstein Hospital

Dr. Noble’s primary and active areas of research interest in Alzheimer's disease and related dementias (ADRD) include potentially modifiable lifecourse risk factors, including the roles of infection and inflammation (PI: R01 AG076015) as well exposures to traumatic brain injury. Dr. Noble has developed a group of multigenerational community-based education programs aiming to increase access to neurological care along with novel community outreach wellness interventions. He is the clinical core leader of the Columbia ADRC (P30 AG066462) and The Diabetes Prevention Project Outcome Study (U19 AG078558).

Through this and other studies he has worked with and/or has access to various databases including the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center and New York SPARCS, among others.

Yejin Lee, Kunsorya Chhea, and Sandra Minchala present on the ASK-AD project. Taub Institute research retreat, November 2023

Yejin Lee, Kunsorya Chhea, and Sandra Minchala present on the ASK-AD project. Taub Institute research retreat, November 2023

Locally-based projects available for study include the Washington Heights-Inwood Columbia Aging Project Ancillary Study of Oral Health and the Columbia University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center clinical cohort.

Dr. Noble has extensive experience in community outreach. In 2010 he co-founded the non-profit organization Arts & Minds, and serves as its volunteer president. Arts & Minds provides arts-centered, museum-based experiences to persons with dementia and their care partners.

Additionally, Dr. Noble is the author of the dementia caregiver handbook Navigating Life with Dementia (2022, American Academy of Neurology/Oxford University Press) and co-editor of the standard neurology text Merritt’s Neurology (2021, 14th edition, Wolters-Kluwer) as well as Merritt’s Neurology Review  (2025, Wolters-Kluwer).

Dr. Noble often works with trainees at various levels including medical students, residents, fellows, and junior faculty.

Current mentored projects include:

  • 2025-2026: An estimate of the frequency soccer heading in league competitions by video analysis. Project Lead: Dr. Molly Charney (CUIMC Neurology resident)
  • 2023-2025: Determining the cost of concussion monitoring and identifying concussion care deserts. Project Lead: Sarah Frances MPH (Mailman School of Public Health student)

Recently mentored projects:

In the News:

TV/webcast:

ABC News 7 New York | WABC-TV7 
December 14, 2025
Up Close: Understanding Alzheimer's disease after NJ Sen. Andy Kim opens up about father's diagnosis
By Bill Ritter
[read more]
[listen to the podcast]

Podcasts:

  • 2026
    Dr. James Noble – Neurologist, Author of Navigating Life with Dementia, was featured on New York radio’s Coping Conversations podcast series hosted by Dr. Bob Philips [listen to the podcast]  
  • 2025
    Dr. James Noble speaks about the link between oral health and brain health with Dr. Allison Sekuler and Jay Ingram in the Healthy Mouth, Healthy Brain episode of the Defy Dementia podcast series. [listen to the podcast]

Print & Online Media:

Lab Members

Select Publications

  • James M Noble, Panos N Papapanou. With Teeth, Broken, or Fixed: The Challenges of Linking Periodontitis, Neuroepidemiology, and Biomarkers of Disease. J Alzheimers Dis. 2023;93(3):991-994. doi:10.3233/JAD-230346. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37248907/

  • Olajide Williams, James M Noble. 'Hip-hop' stroke: a stroke educational program for elementary school children living in a high-risk community. Stroke. 2008 Oct;39(10):2809-16. doi: 10.1161/STROKEAHA.107.513143. Epub 2008 Jul 17. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18635851/

  • James M Noble, Nicole Schupf, Jennifer J Manly, Howard Andrews, Ming-Xin Tang, Richard Mayeux. Secular Trends in the Incidence of Dementia in a Multi-Ethnic Community. J Alzheimers Dis. 2017 Oct 3;60(3):1065-1075. doi: 10.3233/JAD-170300. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28984588/

  • David R Baker, Erin R Kulick, Amelia K Boehme, James M Noble. Effects of the New York State Concussion Management and Awareness Act ("Lystedt Law") on Concussion-Related Emergency Health Care Utilization Among Adolescents, 2005-2015. Am J Sports Med 2018 Feb;46(2):396-401. doi: 10.1177/0363546517738742. Epub 2017 Nov 14. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29135276/

  • James M Noble. Trying Times: Waiting to Learn What Is Happening Now in American Premature Mortality. Am J Public Health. 2020 Apr;110(4):429-431. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2020.305572. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32159980

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