Deirdre O’Shea, PhD, is an Instructor of Neurology at the Comprehensive Center for Brain Health at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. She received her Ph.D. in clinical and health psychology (neuropsychology track) from the University of Florida in 2020. She completed her pre-doctoral clinical internship and post-doctoral fellowship in clinical neuropsychology at Brown University and her Master of Science in neuropsychology at the University of Edinburgh. Prior to her graduate training, she worked as a research coordinator for several clinical trials at the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain at Columbia University in New York City. Her research is broadly focused on identifying biological and environmental factors that influence age-related cognitive heterogeneity and risk for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). Her work has led to the publication of over 30 peer-reviewed publications and several book chapters in this area. She has also served as a reviewer for several leading journals in her field including Neurobiology of Aging, the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, Aging and Mental Health, PLOS One and the Journals of Gerontology: Biological Sciences. Her career goals include:

• Increase understanding of factors that contribute to the higher prevalence of ADRD in women and other underrepresented groups through her research
• Develop a cognitive rehabilitation program for older adults with mild cognitive impairment
• Increase awareness of brain-healthy lifestyle behaviors in the community