Danit Saks

Dr. Danit Saks is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA) within the School of Psychiatry at the University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney). She serves as the study coordinator for the AusCADASIL study, focusing on vascular contributions to cognitive decline. Prior to joining CHeBA in 2023, she completed her PhD in clinical medicine (Glaucoma) and a Master of Research in Biomedical Sciences (Alzheimer's Disease) at Macquarie University. Her research spans neurodegenerative diseases, vision science, and vascular cognitive impairment, with a focus on Alzheimer's, dementia, and glaucoma.

Dr. Saks' academic background includes a strong emphasis on clinical medicine and biomedical sciences. She has contributed to over 20 peer-reviewed publications, exploring topics such as genetic risk factors in glaucoma, retinal vascular analysis, and neurotrophic factor associations in aging. Her work integrates neuroimaging techniques like optical coherence tomography with molecular and genetic approaches to understand disease mechanisms.

Her current research emphasizes collaborative efforts to advance understanding of monogenic causes of vascular dementia (e.g., CADASIL) and the interplay between vascular health and cognitive decline. She has pioneered the AusCADASIL study, an Australian cohort initiative, and actively engages in global collaborations to translate vascular research into clinical practice.

Dr. Saks' research themes coalesce around three pillars: (1) retinal biomarkers for neurodegenerative diseases, (2) genetic and vascular risk factors in glaucoma, and (3) translational research in CADASIL. Her work bridges clinical neurology, ophthalmology, and epidemiology, aiming to identify early diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets for age-related cognitive and vision impairments.