The Taub Institute supports a range of research projects focused on understanding the neural basis of cognition and clarifying the cognitive changes that occur in aging and Alzheimer's disease. Experimentation aims to delineate the underlying reasons for cognitive decline in the aging brain through analysis of brain functions in healthy young individuals and elderly people with and without dementia. In addition to contributing significantly to understanding the aging brain, the success of these research projects could lead to the development of new diagnostic tools for the early identification of Alzheimer's disease.

The majority of this work is conducted by the Cognitive Neuroscience Division of the Taub Institute and the G. H. Sergievsky Center at Columbia University. This division focuses on cognitive-experimental and neuroimaging approaches to issues in normal aging, and diseases of aging.