The Zahodne Lab attended the International neuropsychology Society conference taking place Feburary 13th-17th!

• Kiana Scambray, graduate student, presented a poster presentation titled Resilience against stress is associated with better cognition across the intersection of race and gender.
  • Scambray, K.A., Morris, E.P., Palms, J.D., Lee, J.H., Sol, K., & Zahodne, L.B. (2024, February). Resilience against stress is associated with better cognition across the intersection of race and gender. Poster presented at the International Neuropsychological Society Conference, New York, NY.
• Emily Morris, graduate student, presented a paper presentation titled Is systemic inflammation a mediator of longitudinal psychosocial stress-memory associations in Black and White older adults?
  • Morris, E.P., Sol, K., Scambray, K., Lee, J.H., Palms, J.D., & Zahodne, L.B. (2024, February). Is systemic inflammation a mediator of longitudinal psychosocial stress-memory associations in Black and White older adults? Paper presented at the 52nd annual International Neuropsychological Society conference, New York, NY.
• Jordan Palms, graduate student, presented a poster presentation titled External Perceived Control and Brain Health: Potential Implications for Structural Inequities and Dementia Disparities.
  • Palms, J.D. & Zahodne, L. B. (2024, February). External Perceived Control and Brain Health: Potential Implications for Structural Inequities and Dementia Disparities. Poster presentation at the annual meeting of the International Neuropsychological Society, New York City, NY.
• Lauren Taylor, lab manager, presented a poster presentation titled The Role of Perceived Control in Racial Disparities and Cognition among Black and White Older Adults.
  • Taylor, L.M., Morris, E.P., Lee, J. H., Zahodne, L.B. (February 2024). The Role of Perceived Control in Racial Disparities and Cognition among Black and White Older Adults. Poster presented at the 52nd annual International Neuropsychological Society conference, New York, NY.

• PhD student, Jordan Palms, was awarded the Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (NRSA) F31 fellowship grant from the National Institute of Aging for his dissertation project “Uncovering Mechanisms of Racial Inequalities in ADRD: Psychosocial Risk and Resilience Factors for White Matter Integrity”  Congratulations Jordan!
  • According to the National Institutes of Health, the Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award was created “to enable promising predoctoral students with potential to develop into a productive, independent research scientists to obtain mentored research training while conducting dissertation research.”

The Zahodne Lab attends the Gerontological Society of America (GSA)’s Seventy-Sixth Annual Scientific Meeting, hosted from November 2nd to November 6th, 2023. 

• Dr. Laura Zahodne co-chaired a symposium entitled Advancing Research Across the ADRD Continuum in Underrepresented Populations.
  • Zahodne, L.B., & Ajrouch, K.J. (2023, November). Advancing Research Across the ADRD Continuum in Underrepresented Populations. Symposium presented at the 76th annual convention of the Gerontological Society of America.  

• Dr. Ji Hyun Lee, Post-doctoral alum, delivered an oral presentation in a symposium entitled Longitudinal Changes in Well-Being Associated with Aging Attitude, Cognitive Status, and Widowhood Transition.
  • Lee, J.H., Maher, A.C., Palms, J.D., Mudrazija, S., Chopik, W., & Zahodne, L.B. (2023, November). Trajectories of depressive symptoms before the onset of dementia: examining racial/ethnic disparities. In Le, L. (chair). Longitudinal Changes in Well-Being Associated with Aging Attitude, Cognitive Status, and Widowhood Transition. Symposium presented at the 76th annual meeting of the Gerontological Society of America, Tampa, FL.

• Emily Morris, Graduate student, presented 2 oral presentations and was the recipient of three awards for the GSA 2023 Conference. Congratulations, Emily!
  • Paper presentation entitled Do depressive symptoms mediate segregation’s impact on cognitive aging in older Mexican Americans?
    • Morris, E.P., Grant, J., Clark, A.L., Esiaka, D., Ajrouch, K., & Tarraf, W. (2023, November). Do depressive symptoms mediate segregation’s impact on cognitive aging in older Mexican Americans? Paper presented at the 77th annual meeting of the Gerontological Society of America, Tampa, FL.
  • Oral presentation in the Diverse Environmental Contexts and Links to Later-Life Well-Being symposium
    • Morris, E.P., Palms, J.D., Lee, J.H., Sol, K., Scambray, K., Kobayashi, L.C., Smith, J., & Zahodne, L.B. (2023, November). Interpersonal, community, and societal stressors mediate Black–White memory disparities. In Webster, N. (chair). Diverse Environmental Contexts and Links to Later-Life Well-Being. Symposium presented at the 77th annual meeting of the Gerontological Society of America, Tampa, FL.
  • Behavioral & Social Sciences Travel Stipend
  • Behavioral & Social Sciences Pre-Dissertation Student Research Award
  • Emerging Scholar and Professional Organization Interdisciplinary Paper Award, which is awarded to “ the best interdisciplinary research paper on a topic related to aging by a GSA student member”.

The Zahodne Lab goes to Amsterdam! Three Zahodne Lab members presented their research at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) hosted from July 16th to 20th in the Netherlands.

• Dr. Laura Zahodne presented a poster entitled Measurement and structural invariance of a neuropsychological battery among Middle Eastern/North African, Black, and White older adults.
  • Zahodne, L.B., Brauer, S., Tarraf, W., Morris, E.P., Antonucci, T.C., & Ajrouch, K.J. (2023, July). Measurement and structural invariance of a neuropsychological battery among Middle Eastern/North African, Black, and White older adults. Poster presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

• Research Investigator Dr. Ketlyne Sol presented an oral presentation titled Different typologies of neighborhood resources are associated with cognitive function. This presentation was part of a symposium entitled,  Psychosocial and other experiential factors at micro- and meso- levels related to dementia risk from middle into older age.
  • Sol, K., Clarke, P.J., & Zahodne, L.B. (2023, July). Different typologies of neighborhood resources are associated with cognitive function. In Psychosocial and other experiential factors at micro- and meso- levels related to dementia risk from middle into older age. Symposium presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

• Post-doctoral alum Dr. Ji Hyun Lee delivered a poster presentation entitled Psychological pathways linking social networks to verbal fluency decline: implications for Black-White disparities.
  • Lee, J.H., & Zahodne, L.B. (2023, July). Psychological pathways linking social networks to verbal fluency decline: implications for Black-White disparities. Poster presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, Amsterdam, Netherlands.

Dr. Zahodne and team were awarded a five-year grant from the National Institute on Aging to expand the Michigan Cognitive Aging Project: Mechanisms of Inequalities in ADRD Risk Across Race and Place in the Michigan Cognitive Aging Project. This new grant will enable the investigation of modifiable targets at the individual, interpersonal, and neighborhood levels to prevent dementia and reduce racial inequalities!

In July 2022, Emily Morris was awarded the Student Early Career Award by the International Society to Advance Alzheimer’s Research and Treatment Diversity and Disparities Professional Interest Area!

Congrats Emily!

Postdoctoral research fellow, Dr. Ji Hyun Lee, was awarded the Alzheimer’s Association Research Fellowship (AARF). Congrats Dr. Lee!

According to the Alzheimer’s Association, the grant is “intended to support exceptional researchers who are engaged in their post-graduate work (i.e. postdoctoral fellows) and before they have their first independent faculty positions (i.e. Assistant Professor) and working in diverse areas of research, including basic, translational, clinical, functional, and social-behavioral research”

At the Gerontological Society of America conference, Dr. Zahodne was awarded the Margret M. and Paul B. Baltes award. Congratulations Dr. Zahodne!

According to the Gerontological Society of America (GSA), the Margaret M. and Paul B. Baltes Award “acknowledges outstanding early career contributions in behavioral and social gerontology.”

Three members of the Zahodne Lab presented their research at the International Neuropsychological Society (INS) 2023 50th Annual Meeting hosted between February 1st and 5th, 2023

• Graduate student alum Dr. Afsara Zaheed presented an oral presentation using MCAP data titled The role of CPAP treatment on associations between obstructive sleep apnea and cognition among Black and White older adults
  • Zaheed, A.B., & Zahodne, L.B. (2023, February). The role of CPAP treatment on associations between obstructive sleep apnea and cognition among Black and White older adults. Paper presented at the 50th annual meeting of the International Neuropsychological Society, San Diego, CA.

• Emily Morris, Graduate Student, delivered a poster presentation titled Emotional and Instrumental Support as Protective Factors in Cognitive Aging among Black and Hispanic/Latinx Older Adults.
  • Morris, E.P., Kraal, A.Z., Levy, S., Arias, F., Chen, R., Seblova, D., Jimenez, M.P., Zlatar, Z., Chanti-Ketterl, M., Lor, Y., Fletcher, E., Manly, J.J., & Glymour, M. (2023, February). Emotional and Instrumental Support as Protective Factors in Cognitive Aging among Black and Hispanic/Latinx Older Adults. Poster session presented at the International Neuropsychological Society Conference, San Diego, CA.

• Jordan Palms, Graduate Student, presented an oral presentation titled Racial discrimination and white matter integrity among Black older adults
  • Palms, J.D., Lee, J. H., Alshikho, M. J.,Lao, P.J., Morales, C.D., Manly, J.J., Schupf, N., Brickman, A.M., & Zahodne, L.B. (2023, February). Racial discrimination and white matter integrity among Black older adults. Paper presented at the 50th annual meeting of the International Neuropsychological Society, San Diego, CA.

• PhD student, Emily Morris, was awarded the Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award (NRSA) F31 fellowship grant from the National Institute of Aging for her dissertation project titled “Multilevel Biopsychosocial Stress Mechanisms Underlying Racial Disparities in ADRD Risk” Congratulations Emily!
  • According to the National Institutes of Health, the Ruth L. Kirschstein Predoctoral Individual National Research Service Award was created “to enable promising predoctoral students with potential to develop into a productive, independent research scientists to obtain mentored research training while conducting dissertation research.”