The Penn Memory Center (PMC) is dedicated to training the next generation of leaders in dementia care and research. Each year, the Clinical Fellowship program supports physicians as they deepen their expertise in cognitive neurology while navigating the complexities of memory loss alongside patients and their families.
This year, Rogan Magee, MD, PhD, joins PMC as a Clinical Fellow, continuing his journey at an institution he has long admired.
Dr. Magee’s path to cognitive neurology was driven by a sense of hope. He observes that dementia often threatens a person’s sense of identity just as their life feels most fully realized. In the clinic, his conversations with families often go far beyond medical symptoms, touching on the logistics of early retirement, the emotional weight of moving closer to family, and the shifting dynamics of sibling care teams. Recently, he helped a patient navigate the poignant process of saying goodbye to the musical instrument she had built her life around.
For many years, dementia diagnoses were purely clinical and treatment options were significantly limited. Today, however, Dr. Magee sees a field in transition. New diagnostics and therapies are offering earlier detection and the potential to actually modify the progression of the disease.
“In the face of change, these developments spark hope,” Dr. Magee said. “The opportunity to share that hope guides and motivates me every day.”
Dr. Magee chose to pursue his fellowship at PMC to learn from mentors — including David Wolk, MD, and Roy Hamilton, MD, — whose work continues to define the national landscape of cognitive neurology. He values the center’s deep integration of research and clinical care, as well as its commitment to advancing both the science of the brain and the support systems for those living with the disease.
His unique background informs his rigorous approach to research. Dr. Magee earned his undergraduate degree in computer science and biology from Saint Olaf College before completing an MD-PhD program where his doctoral research focused on noncoding RNA. He later completed his neurology residency at the University of Pennsylvania, where he received an NIH grant focused on the progression of frontotemporal dementia. At PMC, he aims to bridge this high-level science with the daily realities of patient care.
As a clinical fellow at PMC, Dr. Magee aims to bridge science with compassionate care, bringing both rigor and hope to patients and families navigating dementia.