Jared Tinklenberg, noted Alzheimer’s disease researcher, dies at 80

Jared Tinklenberg, M.D., Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Stanford University School of Medicine, Associate Chief of Staff for Mental Health Research and Education at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System (VAPAHCS). Dr. Tinklenberg founded the Gero-Psychiatric Evaluation Unit (GPEU) at the VA Palo Alto in 1981 and established the Stanford/VA California Alzheimer’s Disease Center in 1989. Dr. Tinklenberg was the Principal Investigator of several multi-site research studies and was especially interested in the effectiveness of FDA-approved treatments for Alzheimer’s disease. He was also dedicated to the training and education of future health care professionals. After retiring in 2019, he continued as the co-director of the Center until he died. He served veterans at the VA Palo Alto Health Care System for over 40 years. He was a beloved mentor and esteemed leader in Alzheimer’s Disease research for many decades. He held several administrative positions at the VA and Stanford and was a Fellow emeritus of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. Dr. Tinklenberg enjoyed bird watching and was involved in numerous conservation efforts for open space on the Peninsula. You would often see him walking and riding his bike along the “donkey trail” behind the Palo Alto facility.

He has left a legacy of many clinicians and researchers that will carry on the VA mission after his passing. He is survived by his wife Mae and two daughters, Julie and Karla, both of whom are psychiatrists.