Naiara Demnitz, DPhil, MSc
Cognitive Neuroscientist
We need to establish which lifestyle factors are most effective in protecting brain health.
Current Work
Naiara is a postdoctoral researcher in cognitive neuroscience at the Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance. She is examining the role of lifestyle factors on the aging brain, with the aim of developing targeted lifestyle interventions that promote healthy brain aging.
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Vision
To reduce the scale of dementia, we need to promote healthy behaviours that prevent or delay its onset. For this, Naira believes we need to establish which lifestyle factors are most effective in protecting brain health - and whether different factors should be targeted for different populations.
Strategy
Naiara is using large MRI and cognitive datasets to investigate the relationship between lifestyle factors and the brain’s structure and function. This work will help inform future lifestyle interventions aimed at promoting healthy brain aging throughout the lifespan.
Impact
As an Atlantic Fellow, Naira has developed a multi-disciplinary and culturally diverse network of individuals passionate about brain health. Moving forward, she has no doubt that this network will enrich and broaden the scope of her research.
Motivation
It has been estimated that up to half of dementia cases in Latin America could be prevented through modifiable factors, but most studies dedicated to better understanding these effects have focused on the US or Europe.
Education & Experience
Naiara obtained her undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of Bristol and her MSc in Cognitive Neuroscience from University College London. After completing her DPhil in Psychiatry at the University of Oxford, she continued her work on healthy brain aging as a postdoctoral researcher at the same institution, before moving to the Danish Research Centre for MRI in Copenhagen.
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