David S. Russell, MD, PhD, is Director of Clinical Research at the Institute for Neurodegenerative Disorders (IND). Dr. Russell, a neurologist, has been involved in clinical and basic research in Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders for years and is a member of the Parkinson Study Group, Huntington Study Groups, the Movement Disorders Society, and other research and professional organizations. He is the Principal Investigator at IND, which serves as the largest site in the world for the landmark Parkinson's Progression Markers Initiative (PPMI). Dr. Russell has published in prominent scientific journals and developed expertise in identifying and evaluating novel disease biomarkers, especially imaging agents.

Dr. Russell received his medical degree and doctorate in molecular biology from Cornell University and the Sloan-Kettering Institute. He completed an internal medicine internship and neurology residency at Yale-New Haven Hospital, where he served as chief resident in neurology. He joined the faculty of Yale University in the departments of neurology and psychiatry as director of a laboratory of molecular neuroscience. In 2007, he moved to the Institute of Neurodegenerative Disorders in New Haven, CT. He also serves as director of clinical research for Invicro, an imaging clinical research organization.