Research
Nicotinic Research and Therapeutics Program: Current research focuses on therapeutic drug development for early memory loss and the importance of nicotinic systems healthy aging as well as in cognitive disorders like Alzheimer's disease, ADHD, and Parkinson's disease.
Post Menopausal Research:The overarching goal of this program is to conduct clinical research studies that seek to understand the mechanisms behind changes in cognition and behavior that occur in women after menopause.
Diet and the Aging Brain: This research program examines how the macronutrients in food affect brain functioning in healthy older adults. We are currently examining how different fatty acids in the diet affect brain functioning and the inflammatory response
ADHD Research: This research program analyzes the differences in cognitive functioning in those with and without ADHD using functional MRI (fMRI) across developmental stages. We are also examining whether nicotine, the psychoactive constituent of tobacco, may have positive effects on cognitive and motor processes involving attention that appear to be impaired in many adolescents and young adults with ADHD.
Functional Braing Imaging Program: Functional MRI or functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) is a type of specialized MRI scan and one of the most recently developed forms of brain imaging. It is based on the same technology as the MRI: a noninvasive test that uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed images of the body. Instead of creating images of organs and tissues like MRI, an fMRI looks at blood flow in the brain to detect areas of activity. These changes in blood flow, which are captured on a computer and shown on the screen, help doctors and researchers understand more about how the brain works.