Cassandra Morrison

Cassandra Morrison is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychology at Carleton University, affiliated with the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. She holds degrees of BSc and PhD from the University of Ottawa and works at the Loeb Building (Office B548). Her research focuses on understanding how cognitive functioning and brain structure change with aging and neurodegenerative diseases, particularly Alzheimer’s. She investigates lifestyle, genetic, and health-related factors influencing cognitive decline, using neuropsychological assessments, EEG, and large open-access datasets. Key areas include neural-cognitive relationships, early biomarkers of dementia, and the role of big data in linking brain changes to clinical outcomes.

Her research topics span Alzheimer’s disease, aging processes, subjective cognitive decline, event-related potentials, and computational analysis of neuroimaging data. Recent work emphasizes racial disparities in brain health metrics like white matter hyperintensities and vascular risk factors, as well as sex-based differences in neuropathology and cognitive decline. She also explores how variables like blood pressure, sleep disturbances, and loneliness affect cognitive trajectories in older adults.

Dr. Morrison’s publication trends highlight interdisciplinary approaches, combining neuroimaging with machine learning to predict disease progression and validate clinical measures. Her work often addresses health equity concerns, particularly in marginalized populations. While no awards are listed in the provided materials, her contributions to advancing understanding of dementia biomarkers and aging mechanisms are evident through her active research portfolio.

No specific grants, advising roles, or affiliated labs/teams are detailed in the provided texts, but her research implications suggest involvement in collaborative projects given her use of large datasets and tools like QRATER (a quality control imaging platform).