On September 13, 2010, the CVL held its opening ceremony with a room full of distinguished guests and its founder Dr. Denise C. Park, Distinguished University Chair of Behavioral and Brain Sciences at the University of Texas at Dallas.

Dr. Park joined UT Dallas as a member of the BBS faculty in 2007, working at the Center for BrainHealth.  Her success in expanding the scope of her work on aging and the mind—including growth in the number of researchers on her team and an associated need for dedicated space—resulted in a University decision to establish a research center specifically devoted to that work and to house newly recruited UT Dallas faculty pursuing related research programs.

“The brain is giving up its secrets to us at a startling rate due to the imaging tools we have available,” says Dr. Park. “Yes, our aging society presents some problems. Scientists at the Center for Vital Longevity are tackling them head-on and I am confident that the CVL’s research will not only solve problems but unlock the opportunities aging represents for our society.”

Dr. Park is a pioneer in understanding how the mind and brain change with age. Her vision for the center was a focus on understanding what makes a mind vital and how to keep it that way for life. She currently serves as the CVL’s Director of Research.