NEW HAVEN, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The cognitive science company, Cogstate Ltd (ASX.CGS) today announced the appointment of Eric Siemers, M.D., as Distinguished Medical Adviser. Dr. Siemers will provide expert advice for Cogstate’s pharmaceutical customers with regard to the design of clinical trials of neurodegenerative diseases. He will support Cogstate’s ongoing participation in industry associations and public-private partnerships including the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) and the Anti-Amyloid Treatment in Asymptomatic Alzheimer's Disease study (A4), and he will work to expand Cogstate’s relationships with academic key opinion leaders. Dr. Siemers will also support Cogstate’s healthcare solution, CognigramTM, with research and medical education efforts that foster the awareness and understanding of the link between regular cognitive screening and improved health outcomes.

“Dr. Siemers is a leading expert in neurodegenerative disease and brings a critical external perspective as both a clinician and researcher,” said Brad O’Connor, Cogstate CEO. “As a science-driven company we must continue to gain medical and scientific leadership that deepens our understanding of the current needs of drug developers, patients and providers, and Eric is the ideal candidate for advancing that goal.”

About Eric Siemers

Dr. Siemers’ experience in clinical trials of neurodegenerative disease spans over 25 years, with a research focus on the use of biomarkers in investigational drug research, the development of trial designs that fully characterize the effects of investigational drugs on chronic diseases, and more specifically, the development of strategies for treating individuals before the onset of symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases.

Dr. Siemers most recently served as Distinguished Medical Fellow for Eli Lilly and Company’s Alzheimer’s Disease Global Development Team, where he was responsible for the design and implementation of 5 large phase III clinical studies of AD sponsored by Lilly, in addition to playing a major collaborative role in 2 public-private partnership studies.

Prior to his appointments at Lilly, Dr. Siemers founded and headed the Indiana University Movement Disorder Clinic; his research there included investigations of Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease, and he established one of the first centers for surgical PD treatments in the US.

Dr. Siemers is a member of the NIA/Alzheimer’s Association working group that will evaluate biomarkers and clinical symptoms in the nomenclature used for research of the entire Alzheimer’s disease continuum, and was previously a member of the working group that proposed criteria for preclinical Alzheimer’s disease in 2011. He also served on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Experimental Neurotherapeutics, as founding member and Chair of the Alzheimer’s Association Research Roundtable, and Steering Committee member for the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI).

Dr. Siemers earned his MD with highest distinction from the Indiana University School of Medicine, where he completed an internship in the Department of Internal Medicine and residency in the Department of Neurology.

About Cogstate

Cogstate Ltd (ASX:CGS) is a leading science and technology solutions provider dedicated to optimizing the measurement of cognition in clinical trials, academic research and healthcare. Cogstate provides enabling technologies and professional services for higher quality neuropsychological assessments and is a pioneer in commercializing rapid, reliable and highly sensitive computerized cognitive tests. Cogstate customers include the world’s leading biopharmaceutical companies; elite sporting organizations and military; physicians and patients; renowned academic institutions and public-private partnerships. For more information, please visit www.cogstate.com.