PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Murali Doraiswamy

Also known as P. Murali Doraiswamy

Murali Doraiswamy is a physician-scientist at Duke University whose research links Alzheimer's disease, brain health and artificial intelligence in medicine. After earning a medical degree at the University of Madras and training as a resident at Duke, he co-authored The Alzheimer's Action Plan in 2008 and became chair of the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Brain Research in 2015. In 2019, he reported a survey of 791 psychiatrists in 22 countries on whether AI could replace them; in 2023 he co-developed a scale for AI companion robots, and in 2025 he coauthored papers on AI for Alzheimer's research and on digital cognitive twins. He is a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University School of Medicine, where he directs the Neurocognitive Disorders Program.

Now at
Duke University School of Medicine
Works
644
Badges

Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 22 October 2026. Citations and h-index are hidden because this OpenAlex record may be incomplete or mix in other authors.

Timeline

  1. Since 1995

    Madras degree, Duke residency

    He earns an MBBS degree at the University of Madras in India and pursues residency training at Duke University. In 1995, he becomes a Senior Fellow of Duke's Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development.

  2. 2008

    The Alzheimer's Action Plan

    In 2008, he co-authors The Alzheimer's Action Plan, a guide for patients and caregivers dealing with Alzheimer's disease.

  3. 2012

    Directing the Neurocognitive Disorders Program

    In 2012, he becomes Director of the Neurocognitive Disorders Program in Duke's Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. He also directs a clinical trials unit that has helped develop many diagnostic tests, apps, algorithms and therapeutics.

  4. 2015–2021

    Chairing World Economic Forum councils

    In 2015, he is appointed chair of the World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Brain Research, which is set up to discuss barriers to investment in brain health and to identify emerging brain technologies. By 2021, he is co-chair of the Forum's Global Future Council on Mental Health, which promotes public-private initiatives to improve mental health and resilience.

  5. 2019

    A global survey of psychiatrists

    In 2019, he and coauthors Charlotte Blease and Kaylee Bodner report a survey of 791 psychiatrists from 22 countries on whether AI and machine learning could replace them in key tasks. Only 3.8% of respondents feel the technology is likely to replace a human clinician for empathetic care.

  6. 2023

    AI companion robots and loneliness

    In July 2023, he coauthors a Science Robotics report on companion robots enhanced with artificial intelligence, with Elizabeth Broadbent, Mark Billinghurst and Samantha Boardman. He, Broadbent and Boardman co-develop the Co-Bot-I-7 scale, which aims to measure how a companion robot affects physical health and loneliness.

  7. 2025

    AI for Alzheimer's and cognitive twins

    In April 2025, he coauthors "Harnessing Artificial Intelligence to Transform Alzheimer's Disease Research" in Nature Medicine with Jeffrey Robert Petrella, a Duke professor of radiology. In September 2025, he coauthors "Digital cognitive twins in mental health" in Nature Mental Health with Jon Andoni Duñabeitia, Carlos Rodriguez and Davangere Devanand, which argues that digital cognitive twins could turn cognitive training into a personalized, clinically grounded modality for preventive use.

  8. Since 2026

    Duke professor in four departments

    In 2026, he adds appointments as Professor in Neurology and Professor in Radiology at Duke University School of Medicine, alongside his professorships in Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences (since 2021) and in Medicine (since 2009). He continues to direct the Neurocognitive Disorders Program.

Career

  1. Since 2009Duke University School of MedicineProfessor
  2. Since 1995Duke UniversityResident, Director
  3. 2015–2021World Economic ForumChair, Co-chair

Education

  1. University of MadrasMBBS

From the biography.

  1. The median h-index is 48 at universities and 14 at frontier AI labsIncludes Duke University. The median h-index is 48 at universities and 14 at frontier AI labs. We compare publishing careers, recent citations, dual appointments and job moves across 2,420 university researchers and 308 frontier-lab researchers.
  2. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other universityIncludes Duke University. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other university. We compare doctorate and 5+ year employment links, career timing and current workplaces for 187 major-prize and 1,111 best-paper winners.
  3. More people shaping AI studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than at any other institutionIncludes Duke University. We estimate where the people shaping AI studied and where their careers led. Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads with 467 former students, including 291 recorded doctorates.
  4. The company share of AI researchers’ top papers was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974Includes Duke University. We estimate where the people shaping AI worked when their most-cited papers appeared: the company share was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974, and Google led all organizations in 2020–2024.

Colleagues

People named in this biography, and people with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

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  1. Murali Doraiswamy - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org. Checked 20 October 2026.
  2. P. Murali Doraiswamy | Scholars@Duke profile scholars.duke.edu. Checked 20 October 2026.
  3. Doraiswamy named chair of World Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Brain Research medschool.duke.edu. Checked 20 October 2026.
  4. A 'Once in a Lifetime' Opportunity to Improve Mental Health Care medschool.duke.edu. Checked 20 October 2026.
  5. Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Psychiatry: Insights from a Global Physician Survey arxiv.org. Checked 20 October 2026.
  6. Could AI-powered Robot "Companions" Combat Human Loneliness? today.duke.edu. Checked 20 October 2026.
  7. AI for AD - New Publication agingcenter.duke.edu. Checked 20 October 2026.
  8. Digital cognitive twins in mental health | Nature Mental Health nature.com. Checked 20 October 2026.