Senior Lecturer in School of Medicine, University of Adelaide
I obtained a B.S. summa cum laude in neuroscience and psychology from the University of Scranton in Scranton, PA. I went on to earn a MA and a PhD in behavioral neuroscience in 2011 from the University of Connecticut, where my research focused on understanding the brain basis of parkinsonian resting tremor, in order to develop more targeted treatment strategies. In my postdoctoral work in the cognitive neuroscience division at Columbia University Medical Center, I continued to develop my interests in age-related neurodegenerative disease by investigating the relationship between inflammatory markers and white matter pathology in the development of cognitive decline both in healthy aging and in Alzheimer's disease.
I joined the University of Adelaide in 2014. Here, my work focuses on investigating the brain mechanisms underlying cognitive decline in healthy aging and in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. I am particularly interested in the role of inflammation in this process. I am the recipient of numerous prestigious fellowships, honours and awards for the novelty, quality and interest of this work, including a 2016 South Australian Young Tall Poppy award. My research can be seen featured in multiple media outlets.
How new spinal injury treatments help some people to walk again
Nov 04, 2018 14:30 pm UTC| Insights & Views Health
A spinal cord injury can change your life in the blink of an eye. But today, research published in two leading scientific journals shows that walking again is possible for individuals following spinal cord...
What we know, don’t know and suspect about what causes motor neuron disease
Jun 21, 2017 16:04 pm UTC| Health
Since 2014, the ice bucket challenge, which involves people pouring a bucket of icy water over their heads, has raised awareness and much-needed research funds for motor neuron disease. While research for a cure is...
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