Supporting research on decision making in the aging brain

About the Network

Unprecedented demographics changes are drastically and rapidly increasing the relative number of older adults across the globe. The decisions these older adults make will have tremendous economic and social impact. Anticipating and addressing these changes effectively requires an increase in scientific research on decision making across the life span using new and integrative approaches.

SRNDNA combines multiple scientific disciplines to focus on the study of decision making across the life course. The network’s focus over the next five years will be on strengthening the connection between basic research and clinical research, with a focus on Alzheimer’s Disease and related dementias (ADRD) and health disparities. The network focuses on growth, development, and sustainability through scientific meetings, conferences, methods workshops, small grant competitions, and other awards.

Support

The network is supported by a grant from the NIA awarded to Kendra Seaman and Gregory Samanez-Larkin from 2022-2027 (R24-AG076847). Although this is an international network of scientists distributed widely across institutions, core administrative support for the network is now provided by The University of Texas at Dallas Center for Vital Longevity.

The network was previously supported by NIA grants from 2016-2021 to Gregory Samanez-Larkin (R24-AG054355) with administrative support from the Duke Institute for Brain Sciences and from 2010–2015 to Gregory Samanez-Larkin and Laura Carstensen (R24-AG039350) with administrative support from the Stanford Center on Longevity.

People

Co-Directors

Kendra Seaman

Kendra is an Assistant Professor in the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences and Director of the Aging Well Lab in the Center for Vital Longevity at the University of Texas at Dallas.

Nichole Lighthall

Nichole is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Director of the Adult Development and Decision Lab in the Human Factors & Cognitive Psychology program at the University of Central Florida.

Duke Han

Duke is a Professor of Psychology and Director of the Han Research Lab in the Dornsife College of Letters, Arts, and Sciences at the University of Southern California.

Associates and Fellows

Colleen Frank

Associate Director
Colleen is a postdoctoral researcher at the Aging Well Lab. She received her BA in Psychology from Butler University, then went on to obtain her MS and PhD in Psychology (Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience) at the University of Michigan working with Dr. Patricia Reuter-Lorenz.

Sera Gonzalez

Science Communications Fellow
Sera is a pos-bacc research assistant at the Aging Well Lab. She has a BS in biology from UT Dallas and a BA in journalism from Stephen F Austin State University.

Advisory Board

Lisa Barnes (Rush)
Michael Cohen (University of Chicago)
Natalie Ebner (University of Florida)
Joe Kable (University of Pennsylvania)
Jason Karlawish (University of Pennsylvania)
Karolina Lempert (Adelphi)
Gladys Maestre (UT Rio Grande Valley)
Nathan Spreng (McGill)
David Wolk (University of Pennsylvania)
Debbie Yee (Brown)
Gregory Samanez-Larkin (Duke)

Previous Directors and Staff

Israel Smitherman (Fellow)
Sharada Pillai (Fellow)
Sade Abiodun (Fellow)
Addison Troutman (Fellow)
Joanna Salerno (Fellow)
Eliana Armora Langoni (Fellow)
Galen McAllister (Fellow)
Mikella Green (Fellow)
Erin Kelly (Fellow)
Hannah Leo (Fellow)
Molly Corbett (Finance Mgr)
Camelia Kuhnen (Board)
Ye Li (Board)
Laura Carstensen (Board)
Sam McClure (Board)
David Laibson (Board)

Contact Us

If you have questions about our network please complete the form and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Note in advance that we may only review these messages once per week so you may not get an immediate response. Thank you for your interest!

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