Lesley Ross

Dr. Lesley Ross is a Professor and SmartLife Endowed Chair in Aging and Cognition at Clemson University's College of Behavioral, Social and Health Sciences, Department of Psychology. She also directs the Institute for Engaged Aging and co-directs the SHAARP lab. Her research focuses on cognitive aging, mobility, and interventions to maintain healthy aging, with funding from NIH, NHTSA, and the Department of Transportation.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Lifespan Developmental Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham (2007)
• M.Ed. in Secondary Education, University of Montevallo (2003)
• M.A. in Lifespan Developmental Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham (2006)
• B.A. in Psychology and French, University of Montevallo

Research Interests: Cognitive aging, mobility preservation, driving safety, behavioral interventions (cognitive, exercise, multimodal), and applied technologies to enhance aging outcomes. Her work emphasizes translating research into practical interventions like cognitive training programs.

Key Awards:

• SmartLife Endowed Chair (2020)
• Evelyn R. Saubel Faculty Award (2017)
• Fellow of The Gerontological Society of America (2016)
• 2012 Nathalie Molton Gibbons Young Achiever’s Award

Grants & Labs: Principal investigator on NIH-funded projects studying cognitive training mechanisms. Co-directs the SHAARP lab, focusing on healthy aging interventions. Collaborates with the Transportation Research Board on mobility research.

Labs/Teams: SHAARP lab (Study of Healthy Aging & Applied Research Programs), Institute for Engaged Aging. Active in interdisciplinary collaborations across public health, transportation, and gerontology.