Dr. McLinden oversees the non-pharmacological Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias clinical trials portfolio at the National Institute on Aging. Her portfolio is focused on behavioral, diet, and exercise interventions and devices to prevent, delay, and treat AD. Prior to joining NIA at the end of 2016, she was a program analyst at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) helping to manage the FAST and RAPID clinical trials contracts. As a program officer at NIMH, she oversaw neuroinflammation and training grant portfolios, as well as the NIMH Loan Repayment Program.

Dr. McLinden received her PhD in experimental psychology, with a concentration in behavioral neuroscience from Texas Christian University where she conducted research focused on understanding the effects of neuroinflammation on learning and memory in the aging rodent brain. She went on to receive postdoctoral training as a fellow in the NINDS Intramural Research Program where she researched the role of Cdk5 protein in aging and neurodegeneration.