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Dr. Nicole Anderson
My research focuses on cognitive interventions for healthy older adults, older adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), and adults recovering from stroke. My primary goal is to understand the cognitive mechanisms of the interventions, and to then use that information to help improve their efficacy. I am interested in whether the interventions improve the targeted function, whether they generalize to other cognitive tasks and to everyday functioning, and whether they change brain activity so that networks implicated in healthy (or younger) adults are recruited after treatment. This work is supported by the CIHR, NSERC, the Alzheimer Society of Canada, and by the James S. McDonnell Foundation. If you would like to participate in this research, please contact me at nanderson@klaru-baycrest.on.ca or by phone: 416-785-2500 ext. 3366.
Dr. Larry Leach
It is commonly thought that as people get older they have greater problems with their memory, but research has shown that this is not always the case. Some of the memory complaints that people have may in fact represent problems with attention that result in memory failures. We are interested in determining how age and mood affect a person's ability to pay attention to a task. We have developed a set of computer programs to determine how well people can keep their attention on a task and avoid unwanted distractions. We are looking for people of 55 years of age or older who are interested in volunteering to participate in these studies. Participation will require two hours of your time, to be arranged at your convenience. If you are interested in volunteering please call Dr. Larry Leach at (416) 785-2500 ext. 2447 or email at lleach@baycrest.org.
Dr. Kelly Murphy
Current research projects focus on the early detection of mild memory decline, referred to as mild cognitive impairment (MCI), in older adults. We study the patterns of strengths and weaknesses in different thinking skills in order to learn more about the brain systems mediating these skills and how functioning is affected by normal aging and MCI. One of our current projects examines the level of cortisol present in saliva. Cortisol is a hormone in the body that affects memory function. Participation in our research typically involves taking written and computer based tests of memory and other thinking skills. Research volunteers are provided with information about their memory ability based on a screening assessment of memory function. Older adults (age 60+) interested in volunteering in our studies, please contact our research assistant at 416-785-2500 ext. 3183 or email me at kmurphy@baycrest.org.
Dr. Angela Troyer
Current research projects examine memory and other thinking abilities in older adults (age 60+) who have concerns about their memory and those who do not have memory concerns. For example, we are looking at prospective memory slips, such as walking into a room and forgetting what you intended to do, in people with and without memory concerns. The ultimate goal of our research is to help clinicians diagnose memory disorders such as Alzheimer's disease earlier, before severe memory problems develop. If you are interested in volunteering in our research, contact our research assistant at 416-785-2500 ext. 3183.