Eric Porges, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Clinical and Health Psychology
College of Public Health and Health Professions
How the brain changes with age — and how those changes interact with conditions like substance use, HIV and metabolic disease — is central to understanding long-term health. Eric Porges’s research examines those connections, revealing how brain chemistry and function evolve over time and how they can be influenced through interventions.
Porges’s work brings together neuroscience, aging and clinical science to explore how conditions such as alcohol use, obesity and chronic illness affect cognitive health. A major goal of his research is to move beyond laboratory findings and develop tools that can be used in everyday settings. His program focuses on creating scalable, remotely delivered interventions that can reach broader populations while maintaining scientific rigor.
One of the defining areas of his research examines how brain chemistry changes with age. His work has helped establish patterns in key brain chemicals linked to aging and cognitive function, providing new insight into what constitutes healthy versus accelerated brain aging. These findings have positioned his research at the forefront of efforts to understand how the brain ages under different conditions.
Porges is also a leader in the development of noninvasive neuromodulation approaches, particularly vagus nerve stimulation, which uses gentle electrical signals to influence brain function. His studies explore how these techniques can improve outcomes in conditions related to stress, substance use and cognitive decline. By focusing on methods that can be delivered remotely, his work expands the potential for treatment beyond traditional clinical settings.
A hallmark of his research is the integration of advanced measurement techniques with practical application. His team has developed new ways to measure brain activity and chemistry in living individuals, allowing researchers to better understand how interventions affect underlying biological processes. As his nominator noted, this work reflects a program that connects “mechanistic neuroscience with tangible pathways for clinical translation,” bridging the gap between discovery and care.
Through his research and innovation, Porges is helping advance a more complete understanding of brain health throughout life, with the goal of developing tools and treatments that can improve cognitive function and quality of life for diverse populations.