The University of Michigan Concussion Center is proud to congratulate members Drs. Henry L. Paulson and Bruno Giordani on receiving prestigious University of Michigan faculty awards on November 11.

Dr. Henry L. Paulson: Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award

Dr. Henry L. Paulson, an internationally recognized scientist, clinician, and mentor in academic neurology, was awarded the Distinguished Faculty Achievement Award. This honor recognizes senior faculty for sustained excellence across research, mentorship, teaching, and university service.

At U-M, Paulson serves as the Lucile Groff Chair of Neurology for Alzheimer’s Disease, a professor of neurology, and a research professor at the Michigan Neuroscience Institute (MNI). Over nearly two decades at the university, his laboratory and clinical leadership have shaped modern understanding, diagnosis, and treatment of neurodegenerative conditions. Notably, he identified disease protein aggregation and impaired protein quality control as key hallmarks of inherited neurodegenerative diseases and helped pioneer gene silencing as a therapeutic strategy.

Beyond his laboratory discoveries, Paulson has played a pivotal role in building U-M’s neuroscience infrastructure. A member of the National Academy of Medicine with over three decades of NIH-funded research and more than 270 publications, he has directed the Michigan Alzheimer’s Disease Center for the past 11 years. He also helped expand MNI to more than 150 scientists while serving as Interim Co-Director from 2021 to 2023. In 2020, his dedication to training emerging scientists was recognized with the NIH Landis Outstanding Mentor Award.

Dr. Bruno Giordani: Regents’ Award for Distinguished Public Service

Dr. Bruno Giordani, an internationally respected clinical neuropsychologist, received the Regents’ Award for Distinguished Public Service. This honor celebrates faculty who translate their academic and clinical expertise into impactful local, national, or global community service closely related to their teaching and research.

Giordani holds appointments across three U-M schools and colleges, serving as chief psychologist and professor of psychiatry and neurology in the Medical School, professor of psychology in LSA, and adjunct professor in the School of Nursing. Across nearly 40 years at U-M, his work has seamlessly bridged neuropsychology, global health, and community-engaged interventions. Beginning with collaborations in Uganda in the early 1990s, he established partnerships addressing the cognitive and behavioral consequences of disease among children and older adults. Those efforts have since expanded across sub-Saharan Africa, advancing medical education, improving care for infectious and chronic illnesses, and training a new generation of neuropsychologists while creating cross-cultural learning opportunities for U-M trainees.

Closer to home, Giordani has demonstrated an equally strong commitment to local outreach and university leadership. He has provided longstanding leadership and community education for Michigan Alzheimer’s Association chapters. This work was honored with the Ruth Michelbaugh Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015. Giordani is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and has served extensively in U-M faculty governance, including as president of the Senate Advisory Committee on University Affairs.

Together, Drs. Paulson and Giordani exemplify the excellence of our faculty. Please join the Concussion Center in celebrating their well-deserved honors and lasting impact on brain science, mentorship, and public service!