Brad Cannell is the inaugural holder of the Eleanor and Murray Zoota Endowed Professorship
in Neurodegenerative Research in the Harris College of Nursing & Health Sciences.
The professorship was established by Murray Zoota, who also established The Zoota
Family Leaders in Parkinson’s Disease Speaker Series in 2023.
“The Zoota family is so amazing with all the work they do at Harris,” Cannell said. “I feel a great sense of responsibility to be a good steward of their gift, to make sure that it’s used wisely and that we get the best outcomes possible in terms of moving knowledge and community awareness forward and helping those in our community who are living with Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.”
Cannell, who is also serving as associate dean of research for Harris College, is an accomplished epidemiologist, gerontologist and data scientist whose research focuses on healthy aging and late-life quality of life. His work is largely inspired by his grandmother, who was diagnosed with dementia and spent the final years of her life in an assisted living facility.
“If there’s something I can do to prevent people from having that experience or having a loved one have that experience,” Cannell said, “I’m in.”
He has published research focusing on the preservation of physical and cognitive function, living and aging with disability, and detecting and preventing elder mistreatment. Much of this research has involved partnerships with community organizations at the local, state and federal levels, something he plans to continue at TCU.
“This is a place where it feels like there’s an opportunity to make a difference, not just in terms of research dollars, but in community impact,” he said. “That’s always been the most important thing to me.”
Cannell earned his Master of Public Health with a concentration in epidemiology from the University of Louisville and his B.A. in political science and marketing from the University of North Texas. He received his Ph.D. in epidemiology and a graduate certificate in gerontology from the University of Florida. He holds a graduate certificate in predictive analytics from the University of Maryland University College and a certificate in big data and social analytics from MIT.