Ciara Treacy

Ciara Treacy is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) Thompson Institute, specializing in trauma and ageing. Her research focuses on cognitive neuroscience, healthy brain ageing, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). She holds a PhD in cognitive neuroscience (2025) and an accelerated biomedical science degree (2020).

Education:

• PhD in Cognitive Neuroscience, UniSC (2025)
• BBiomedSc (Accel), UniSC (2020)

Research Interests: Her work investigates neurobiological mechanisms of attention and inhibition in older adults using advanced MRI techniques. Key topics include PTSD neuroanatomy in ageing populations, dementia risk factors, and the impact of lifestyle interventions (via the LEISURE study) on cognitive health.

Awards & Memberships:

• Best Debut Paper Award (2025)
• Fisher Student of the Year (2023)
• Young Science Ambassador (2023)
• Commendation for Academic Excellence (2020)
• International Golden Key Society (2019)

Grants & Projects: Leads the LEISURE study protocol to evaluate multi-modal dementia risk reduction strategies. Previously worked as a Research Assistant in Healthy Brain Ageing at UniSC (2021–2025) and a Virology Scientist at QML Pathology (2020–2021).

Labs & Teams: Collaborates within the Thompson Institute's trauma and ageing research teams, focusing on translational neuroscience and clinical applications.