Kate Hughes

Kate Hughes is a Post-Doctoral Research Associate at the University of Arizona, following completion of her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Birkbeck, University of London (2013–2017). Her work focuses on the intersection of Down syndrome and Alzheimer's disease in children aged 4–16 years, with affiliations to the CBCD and LonDownS consortia. She holds a MSc in Clinical Neuroscience (UCL, 2012–2013) and a BSc in Neuroscience (University of Edinburgh, 2008–2012).

Research Interests: Her research examines genetic, cognitive, and behavioral markers predictive of neurodegenerative risks in Down syndrome. She investigates microglial activation in Alzheimer's pathology and genetic variants like TREM2. Her postdoctoral work aims to identify early interventions to mitigate neurodegeneration.

Awards:

• Arts Council funding (£1,000, 2017)
• Wellcome ISSF Public Engagement award (£2,470, 2016)
• ESRC PhD stipend (£15,863 pa, 2014–2016)

Advising & Grants: Supervised by Prof. Annette Karmiloff-Smith and Prof. Michael Thomas during her PhD. Current research builds on her MSc work on TREM2 and BSc studies on neurodegeneration controversies. Genetic analyses are ongoing, with behavioral/cognitive results being finalized for publication.

Labs/Teams: Collaborates with CBCD and LonDownS consortia, integrating multidisciplinary approaches to developmental and neurodegenerative research.