Lorina Naci, PhD

Associate Professor of Psychology

Working to develop biomarkers that enable early diagnosis and treatment in mid-life.

Current Work

Lorina's group develops novel and clinically applicable neural markers of healthy and disordered cognition in healthy aging and patient populations. Collaborating with Oxford, Cambridge, and Edinburgh universities, they are developing early biomarkers of Alzheimer's disease in asymptomatic individuals, 20-30 years prior to potential diagnosis. This could lead to early detection, treatment and prevention of Alzheimer’s dementia.

Personal Hero

Mahatma Gandhi

Words of Strength

Think big, word hard, achieve

Vision

As exposure to several modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer's disease (AD) begins many decades before AD onset, interventions must be implemented in mid-life. However, the brain-based indicators of the disease process in mid-life are poorly understood.

Strategy

Through multi-centre international collaborations, Lorina's group is helping to develop biomarkers that enable early diagnosis and treatment in mid-life, a necessary preliminary step to all future interventions at the earliest stages of AD.

Motivation

Lorina's multidisciplinary work enriches the GBHI learning environment with education in public-health approaches, clinical assessment, policy, interventions, public and patient involvement methodologies. Fellow activities include scientific discovery, policy and ethics, clinical practice, working with vulnerable populations and knowledge dissemination.

Featured Publications