Ariana Stickel

Ariana Stickel, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at San Diego State University (SDSU), within the College of Sciences. Her research focuses on the interplay between cardiovascular health, cognitive aging, and dementia risk in Hispanic/Latino populations through the Brain Research In Latino Life-course Aging (BRILLA) Lab. Key areas include investigating how cardiovascular disease risk factors, migration patterns, and sociocultural factors influence neurocognitive outcomes in aging Hispanic communities.

Her work leverages large-scale epidemiological datasets like the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) and SOL-INCA, analyzing longitudinal data on cognitive decline, brain structure via MRI, and cardiometabolic health. Recent studies explore topics such as glycemic control, sleep apnea, and hearing loss impacts on cognition, with a focus on reducing health disparities in underrepresented groups.

• Lab: BRILLA Lab (focusing on Latino health and cognitive aging)
• Research Themes: Neurocognitive aging, cardiovascular-cognitive interactions, Hispanic/Latino epidemiology

Publications highlight collaborations with institutions like the University of California San Diego, Columbia University, and the University of Miami, emphasizing multidisciplinary approaches to aging research. Her findings have informed normative data for cognitive assessments in Hispanic/Latino populations and policy recommendations for preventive healthcare interventions.