Healthy Brain Ageing

The Healthy Brain Ageing (HBA) research program focuses on identifying, understanding and managing risk and protective factors that may impact the onset and trajectory of cognitive decline in people aged over 50 years, where the opportunity for dementia prevention is likely to be optimal. Our collaborative team of researchers, clinicians and students have internationally renowned expertise in key areas including cognition, sleep, depression, cardiometabolic health, digital health technologies, and cognitive intervention, and how these factors relate to cognitive decline and brain degeneration. Drawing on world-class facilities at the Brain and Mind Centre and within our research partner sites (including Charles Perkins Centre and Woolcock Institute of Medical Research), we utilize cutting-edge, evidence-based techniques and explore novel research paradigms for assessment and management of cognition, neurobiological markers of disease, sleep-wake disturbance and psychological wellbeing.

At the heart of the Healthy Brain Ageing program is our ‘one-of-a-kind’ early intervention research clinic serving adults aged over 50 years with recent concerns (i.e. within the last 5 years) regarding changes in their memory or other thinking skills, or mood disturbance (e.g. depression). The clinic is serviced by a multidisciplinary team including geriatricians, neuropsychologists, neurologists and research psychologists, all of whom are committed to providing clinical and research excellence. In addition to comprehensive assessment, the clinic also incorporates individualised and group-based programs targeting depression, sleep, nutrition, physical exercise, cognitive training, and a range of continually-evolving, novel approaches to optimizing ‘healthy brain ageing’.

  • CogNet: Developing and evaluating an online Healthy Brain Ageing psychoeducation and cognitive training intervention for older adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment - Haley LaMonica
  • Impact of obstructive sleep apnoea on older adults at risk of dementia - Aaron Lam - PhD
  • Characterising Sleep Dependent Memory in Mild Cognitive Impaired Subtypes - Carla Haroutonian - PhD
  • Social cognition in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia: neurobiological and psychosocial correlates and the potential role of an oxytocin treatment - Johannes Michaelian - PhD
  • To examine autonomic function during sleep, via heart rate variability, in older adults at risk of dementia, and how nocturnal autonomic function is linked to the morphological and functional integrity of the brain - Shawn Dexiao Kwong - PhD
  • Relationship between white matter and sleep-wake functioning in older adults at risk for dementia - Jake Palmer - PhD

Meet our Research Group

Professor Sharon Naismith

NHMRC Dementia Leadership Fellow, USyd

  • Clinical Neuropsychologist
  • Cognitive Neuroscientist
  • Neuroimaging Analyst

Dr Loren Mowszowski

NHMRC-ARC Dementia Research Development Fellow, Clinical Neuropsychologist, USyd

  • Neuropsychology
  • Cognitive Intervention
  • Behavioural Research

Dr Angela D’Rozario

Clinical sleep neurophysiologist and Senior Research Fellow, USyd

  • Sleep and Sleep Disorders
  • Neurophysiology
  • High-density Electroencephalography

Dr Camilla Hoyos

NHMRC-ARC Dementia Research Fellow, USyd

  • Sleep Disorders
  • Sleep
  • Clinical Trials

Dr Haley M LaMonica

Early-career researcher, practicing Clinical Neuropsychologist, USyd

  • Ageing
  • Mild Cognitive Impairement
  • Alzheimer's Disease

Dr Andrew McKinnon

Dementia Australia Research Foundation Postdoctoral Research Fellow; Clinical Neuropsychologist, USyd

  • Neuroimaging
  • Neuropsychology
  • Statistics

Dr Catriona Ireland

USyd

  • Clinical assessment
  • Diagnosis and management of cognitive concerns
  • Mild cognitive impairment and dementia

Carla Haroutonian

PhD Student

Characterising Sleep Dependent Memory in Mild Cognitive Impaired Subtypes

Supervisors: Prof Sharon Naismith, Dr Angela D’Rozario, A/Prof Ian Jonston, Dr Shantel Duffy

Years:

Johannes Michaelian

PhD Student

Social cognition in mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dementia: neurobiological and psychosocial correlates and the potential role of an oxytocin treatment

Supervisors: Prof Sharon Naismith, Prof Adam Guastella, Dr Camilla Hoyos, Dr Andrew McKinnon

Years:

Aaron Lam

PhD Student

Impact of obstructive sleep apnoea on older adults at risk of dementia

Supervisors: Prof Sharon Naismith, Dr Angela D'Rozario, A/Prof Craig Phillips, Prof Ron Grunstein

Years:

Jake Palmer

PhD Student

Relationship between white matter and sleep-wake functioning in older adults at risk for dementia

Supervisor: Prof Sharon Naismith

Years:

Andrea Ricciardiello

PhD Student

The Impact of Sleep Disturbance on Sleep Dependent Emotional Memory Consolidation: An Investigation of Late-Life Depression

Supervisors: Prof. Sharon Naismith, Dr. Angela D’Rozario, Dr.Rick Wassing, A/Prof.Fiona Kumfor

Years:

Zoe Schrire

PhD Student

Influences of endogenous and exogenous melatonin in older adults at risk dementia

Supervisors: Dr. Camilla Hoyos, Professor Sharon Naismith, A/Prof. Christopher Gordon and A/Prof. Craig Phillips

Years: