Mayra Bittencourt

Dr. Mayra Bittencourt is a researcher affiliated with the Faculty of Medical Sciences at the University of Groningen. Her work focuses on understanding neurological consequences of mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) in elderly populations through advanced neuroimaging techniques such as EEG, MEG, and fMRI. Specializing in cognitive reserve mechanisms and brain network connectivity, her research explores how aging interacts with traumatic brain injury outcomes. She has contributed to developing prognostic models using machine learning approaches and has published extensively on ERP measures, resting-state connectivity disruptions, and clinical predictors of recovery.

• PhD: University of Groningen (2022), thesis titled 'Mild traumatic brain injury at older age: Patterns in clinical and neuroimaging data'

Her research interests span neuroimaging methodologies, cognitive reserve theory, and translational neurology with a focus on geriatric populations. She leads the ReCONNECT-study investigating recovery and connectivity in elderly after cerebral trauma. Key contributions include identifying ERP biomarkers for mTBI outcomes and advancing understanding of age-related vulnerabilities in brain networks.

Publications highlight interdisciplinary approaches combining clinical neuroscience, neuroimaging, and machine learning to address unmet needs in elderly neurotrauma care. Active collaborations with neurology, biomedical engineering, and clinical psychology experts drive her translational research agenda.