Dr. Hammers is an associate professor in the Department's Division of Cognitive Neurology. His career special interests include assessing cognition in patients across the lifespan, related to concerns ranging from adult ADHD to Alzheimer’s disease. His research has focused on relationships between brain imaging and neuropsychological test performance, detection of early cognitive decline in the elderly through novel measures, and—more recently—assessment of cognitive change over time. Dr. Hammers is currently preparing to resubmit a K23 grant application to National Institute on Aging focused on enriching Alzheimer’s disease clinical trial participation using cognitive and functional predictors.
Get to know Dr. Hammers on a more personal level as this issue's Meet the Faculty spotlight!
What are your hobbies? Bicycling, running, and playing the guitar.
What is your favorite meal/dessert? Donuts . . . they are my kryptonite.
What are one or two things you want to learn to do? Speak Spanish or figure out a French braid hairstyle on my three-year-old daughter.
What is one thing that can instantly make your day better? Time with my daughter and wife.
What song always gets you out on the dance floor? “Somebody to Love” from Queen. Objectively the best song ever.
What is something people would be surprised to learn about you? I competed in Jr. Olympic Track and Field at the national level throughout my youth . . . until my genetics kicked in (I’m only 5’9”).
Name one thing on your bucket list. Taking my family to Versailles (and speaking French fluently while I’m there).
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up? Aerospace engineer. I even attended Space Camp in 1991.
What is the best concert you’ve ever attended? Not to be a total cliché for my age, but during college I drove through the night with friends to attend the Dave Matthews Band 10th Anniversary concert in Charlottesville, VA, in 2001. Relatedly, it was sobering to see the average age of attendees at August’s DMB concert in SLC.
What is your favorite thing about your career? Getting to satisfy my intellectual curiosities.