Michaela Defrancesco

Michaela Defrancesco is a Professor of Neurocognitive Disorders at the Medical University of Innsbruck, holding a tenured position since 2022. She heads the memory consultation at the University Clinic for Psychiatry I and has been affiliated with the institution since 2007. Her professional roles include board membership in the Austrian Alzheimer's Society and contributions to the Austrian Dementia Registry and Report.

Her academic credentials comprise:

• Human Medicine degree from Medical University of Innsbruck
• PhD in Neuroscience
• Master's in Medical Writing
• Master's in Geriatrics from Danube University Krems

Defrancesco's research centers on neurocognitive disorders in aging populations, specifically investigating risk factors and progression markers for conversion from mild cognitive impairment to Alzheimer's dementia. Her work critically evaluates both pharmacological interventions and non-pharmacological therapeutic approaches for dementia management, with emphasis on early detection and disease modification strategies.

She actively shapes national dementia policy through her leadership in the Austrian Alzheimer's Society and data contributions to national registries, bridging clinical practice with public health initiatives for cognitive disorders.