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A cognitive neuroscientist by training, Dr. Vijeth Iyengar, PhD, serves as the director of global aging at AARP where he leads cutting-edge research, drives thought leadership on global
aging issues and cultivates relationships and strategic alliances to promote AARP’s vision in service of older adults everywhere. Prior to joining AARP, from the years 2016-2021, Dr. Iyengar
served as a civil servant in a variety of roles across the U.S. federal government including as brain health lead and technical advisor to the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aging at the
Administration for Community Living, as a policy advisor to the 4th U.S. Chief Technology Officer at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, as co-lead coordinator of the
older adult working group for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Healthy People 2020/2030 initiative, and as lead author of the 2018-2022 U.S. country report for the Fourth
Review and Appraisal of the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing – a process overseen by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. Additionally, he completed a secondment
at the Pan American Health Organization’s Mental Health and Substance Use Unit where he chronicled member-state progress towards indicators found in the 2015 Strategy and Plan of Action on
Dementias in Older Persons. Dr. Iyengar has contributed to articles appearing in the Bulletin of the World Health Organization, JAMA Health Forum, Pan American Journal of Public Health,
Scientific American, STAT News, and the U.S. National Academy of Medicine. Additionally, he served as co-guest editor of a special issue of the Clinical Gerontologist on examining
cross-cultural strategies to address brain and mental health in underserved populations. A native of Louisiana, he was a visiting undergraduate student at Cornell University, received his
bachelor’s degree from Tulane University, and received his masters and doctoral degrees from Duke University. Among other recognitions, Dr. Iyengar was a Presidential Management Fellow, a
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow, and selected as a 2020 Aspen Ideas Festival Health Fellow. He is a Regional Mentor at the Atlantic Fellows Equity in Brain Health
Program, a mentor for the Techstars Future of Longevity Accelerator, and a Principal Member of the Meridian International Corporate Council.