Gustavo C. Román, MD, is Professor of Medicine/Neurology at the School of Medicine of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio. Dr Román graduated from the National University of Colombia in Santafé de Bogotá, Colombia; he trained in Neurology at the Salpętričre Hospital, University of Paris, France, and at the University of Vermont in Burlington.

Dr Román was Chief of the Neuroepidemiology Branch at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland. During his tenure at the NIH, Dr Román was instrumental in organizing the international workshop that defined the criteria for vascular dementia for research studies.

He is the recipient of the Commendation Medal of the US Department of Health and Human Services, and Honorary Member of the neurological societies of France, Spain, and Cuba. He was elected Fellow of the American Neurological Association, the Royal Society of Medicine (London), and the American College of Physicians. He served as President of the Pan American Society of Neuroepidemiology and has participated in numerous committees of the American Academy of Neurology and the World Federation of Neurology.

Dr Román has authored and co-authored several books, more than 25 book chapters, and 200+ journal articles. Dr Román organized twice the successful International Congress on Vascular Dementia (Geneva 1999, Salzburg 2002). He is the current Editor-in-Chief of the journal Neuroepidemiology and editorial board member for Journal of the Neurological Sciences, Dementia and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders, Stroke, and Neurología (Spain), and ad hoc reviewer for numerous neurological journals.

Dr Román is an internationally recognized expert in vascular dementia and serves as advisor to the US Food and Drug Administration.

Dr Román has disclosed the following relationships:

• Consultant: Eisai Inc., Janssen Pharmaceutica, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Pfizer Inc

• Speakers' Bureau: Eisai Inc., Janssen Pharmaceutica, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation, Pfizer Inc