معرفی
Elena Festa is a Senior Lecturer and Honors Advisor in the Department of Cognitive and Psychological Sciences at Brown University. She holds a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from Brown University and completed postdoctoral training in cognitive neuropsychology of Alzheimer’s disease. Her research focuses on neurocognitive mechanisms underlying perception, memory, and attention in aging populations, particularly investigating sensory feature binding, selective attention, and early Alzheimer’s disease markers. She also examines interventions to enhance cognitive resilience in aging and dementia.
Education:
- A.B. in Psychology, College of the Holy Cross (1992)
- Sc.M. and Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology, Brown University (1994–1998)
Research Interests: Her work explores aging-related cognitive changes, Alzheimer’s disease progression, cholinergic/noradrenergic systems, multisensory integration, and driving performance in older adults. She utilizes EEG, ERP, pupillometry, and fNIRS techniques to study neural dynamics.
Publications Trends: Recent articles emphasize age-related glutamate changes in prefrontal cortex, pupillary responses as biomarkers, and interactions between attention systems and cognitive decline. Her work bridges basic neuroscience with translational applications, such as developing neurocognitive stress tests and evaluating driving safety in impaired elders.
- Scientific Awards:
- Karen T. Romer Award for Excellence in Advising
- National Research Service Award Postdoctoral Fellowship (2000–2003)
- Brown University Dissertation Fellowship
Grants & Mentorship: As Co-Investigator in NIA-funded studies (R01 AG069265, R01 AG064002), she collaborates on projects identifying risk/resilience markers for Alzheimer’s. She has mentored undergraduate honors students, graduate researchers, and postdocs, emphasizing equity in higher education.
Labs/Teams: Engaged in multidisciplinary collaborations across departments including Neurology, Psychiatry, and Biostatistics. Key partnerships involve Dr. William Heindel (longstanding collaborator), David Badre (frontal control networks), and Matt Nassar (cognitive aging).
