Suraj Samtani

Dr. Suraj Samtani is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA), UNSW Sydney, and Study Coordinator for the international SHARED project. He holds a PhD and Master of Psychology (Clinical) from UNSW, focusing on cognitive processes like rumination across disorders. His research emphasizes social determinants of dementia and cognitive health, leveraging large-scale longitudinal data from global cohorts. Professional memberships include the Australian Psychological Society and Australian Clinical Psychology Association.

Education:

• PhD in Clinical Psychology, UNSW
• Master of Psychology (Clinical), UNSW

Research Interests: Social health, dementia risk factors, cognitive reserve, and the interplay of social, biological, and psychological factors in aging. His work aims to identify modifiable behaviors to prevent cognitive decline and inform healthcare policies.

Key Projects:

• SHARED Project: Examines social health's role in dementia progression.
• Analysis of UK Biobank data linking social connections to brain health.
• Global collaborations on cognitive aging and dementia prevention.

Publications: Over 30 peer-reviewed articles in journals like Nature Aging and BMC Public Health, focusing on social determinants of dementia, cognitive decline mechanisms, and pandemic mental health impacts.

Future Work: Developing interventions to enhance social health and reduce dementia risk through interdisciplinary approaches.