Brian Hitt, M.D., Ph.D.

Brian Hitt, M.D., Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Behavioral Neurology section of UT Southwestern Medical Center’s Department of Neurology and Neurotherapeutics.  He specializes in neurodegenerative diseases and conducts basic science and translational research aimed at better understanding the molecular mechanisms of neurodegeneration and developing new diagnostic techniques.

Dr. Hitt earned his B.S. in Neurobiology and Behavior from the University of California, Irvine and his M.D. and Ph.D from Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.  There his research focused on the molecular events leading to the formation of the beta amyloid peptide that is central to Alzheimer’s disease pathology. 

Dr. Hitt completed his residency in Neurology and a fellowship in Behavioral Neurology at UT Southwestern Medical Center prior to joining the faculty.  He is certified by the American Board of Psychiatry and Neurology and is a member of the American Academy of Neurology and the International Society to Advance Alzheimer’s Research and Treatment.

Dr. Hitt’s laboratory-based research at UT Southwestern’s Center for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Disease focuses on the role of the tau protein in the progression of diseases like Alzheimer’s disease, frontotemporal dementia, and progressive supranuclear palsy. It aims to find new ways to detect the structural changes in tau protein associated with different diseases, allowing for more specific diagnosis and characterization of pathology, and informing efforts to develop disease-modifying therapies.  As part of UT Southwestern’s Alzheimer’s Disease Center for clinical research, Dr. Hitt also works with research participants to improve the care of patients with Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders.  His research is supported by the Alzheimer’s Association.

Clinically, Dr. Hitt is committed to providing the highest quality care for patients with neurodegenerative diseases and other disorders of cognition and behavior, and educating patients and their loved ones about these conditions.