My research aims to understand how modifiable lifestyle behaviours, particularly physical activity and sleep, influence brain health and cognitive ageing, and to develop scalable interventions to reduce the risk of dementia. My research integrates exercise science, cognitive neuroscience, epidemiology, and Alzheimer’s disease biomarkers to investigate how lifestyle behaviours relate to cognitive function and dementia-related changes in the brain. Increasingly, my research focuses on translating this evidence into accessible, scalable approaches for regional and rural communities, where access to health and preventive services can be limited.
The overall message from my research is that aspects of brain health and dementia risk remain modifiable in later life, and that lifestyle behaviours such as physical activity may play an important role in supporting healthy cognitive ageing. My work aims to build on this evidence by developing practical interventions that can be implemented in real-world communities and reach people who are often underrepresented in research and have limited access to preventive health services.