Karen Campbell


Canada Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience of Aging

Tier 2 - 2017-11-01
Renewed: 2023-01-01
Brock University
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council

905-688-5550 ext. 4281
karen.campbell@brocku.ca

Coming to Canada From

Harvard University, Cambridge, United States

Research involves

Using behavioural and neuroimaging techniques to examine how memory is affected by age-based differences in the ability to control attention.

Research relevance

This research will help change common stereotypes about aging and lead to interventions that harness the cognitive functions that are preserved with age.

Research summary

Many of us worry that our ability to remember things will get worse with age. But what if we could better understand why this happens—and come up with a solution for it?

As Canada Research Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience of Aging, Dr. Karen Campbell is focusing on how age-related differences in attention may affect short—and long-term memory. She and her research team are investigating whether age-related differences in visual short-term memory may be due to altered brain connectivity and a diminished ability to ignore distractions. They are also exploring how these differences in brain structure and function may affect our ability to form associations in long-term memory. Finally, they are testing how decreased control over attention affects older adults’ memories in their everyday lives. Ultimately, they hope to come up with strategies that will help older people maintain better memory function with age.