Assistant Professor, Psychology University of Pittsburgh Phone: (412) 624-4533 Fax: (412) 624-4428 Email: kiericks@pitt.edu This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Ph.D., University of Illinois

Research Interests

My research has focused on understanding the changes in various aspects of cognition, and the supporting brain structure and function, across the lifespan.  For example, I have studied the manner in which executive control processes (e.g. planning, scheduling, working memory, inhibition, task coordination) change from early to late adulthood.  In this research I have reported substantial individual differences in the rate of change.   Some adults experience rapid changes while others show more gradual changes or very little change in function with advancing age.  This demonstrates that although cognitive decline and brain atrophy is common in old age, it is far from being inevitable.

Along these lines, my research is also involved in examining the factors that promote successful aging.  For example, environmental factors such as vitamin supplementation, physical activity, and hormone replacement influence the trajectory of cognitive decline.   Participation in moderate amounts of physical activity can significantly improve cognitive and brain function in older adults.  In addition, only 6-months of aerobic exercise was enough to restore lost volume in the prefrontal and temporal cortices. 

Genetic factors also play a role in the trajectory of cognitive and brain deterioration in old age.  In one recent study we have found that a genetic polymorphism in the BDNF gene contributes to the rate of cognitive decline in old age.   We are currently examining how genetic predispositions interact with environmental factors (e.g. physical activity) to influence neurocognitive function in old age. 

In short, I take a brain plasticity perspective in the study of age-related patterns of deterioration.  My research, from both cross-sectional and randomized intervention studies, has demonstrated that the older adult brain retains its capacity for plasticity. 

To examine these research questions, my colleagues and I bring to bear methodologies ranging from reaction time and accuracy, mathematical modeling, and neuroimaging techniques such as functional and anatomical MRI.

Recent Publications

• Erickson KI, Kim JS, Suever BL, Voss MW, Francis BM, Kramer AF. Genetic contributions to age-related decline in executive function: a 10-year longitudinal study of COMT and BDNF polymorphisms.  Front Hum Neurosci 2(11): 1-9, 2008.
• Hillman CH, Erickson KI, Kramer AF.  Be smart, exercise your heart:  Exercise effects on brain and cognition. Nat Rev Neurosci 9(1): 58-65, 2008.
• Erickson KI, Colcombe SJ, Elavsky S, McAuley E, Korol DL, Scalf PE, Kramer AF. Interactive effects of fitness and hormone treatment on brain health in postmenopausal women.  Neurobiol Aging 28(2): 179-85, 2008.
• Erickson KI, Colcombe, SJ, Wadhwa R, Bherer L, Peterson M, Scalf PE, Kim JS, Alvarado M, Kramer AF. Training-induced plasticity in older adults: effects of training on hemispheric asymmetry.  Neurobiol Aging 28(2): 272-83, 2007.
• Colcombe SJ, Erickson KI, Scalf PE, Kim JS, Wadhwa R, McAuley E, Kramer AF. Aerobic exercise training increases brain volume in aging humans: evidence from a randomized clinical trial. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 61(11): 1166-70, 2006.
• Erickson KI, Suever BL, Prakash RS, Colcombe SJ, McAuley E, Kramer AF. Greater intake of vitamin B6 and B12 spares brain volume in the elderly: An optimized voxel-based morphometry study.  Brain Res 1199: 20-6, 2008