We will also stream this seminar via Zoom.
For the link, please contact us: pennmindcore@sas.upenn.edu

Katharine Dunlop
Neurosciences and Clinical Translation
Keenan Research Centre Centre for Biomedical Science
St. Michael’s Hospital, Toronto

Aging and the Depressed Brain

Healthy aging is characterized by cognitive decline and alterations in brain structure and function. Deviations in the rate of decline in these areas may reflect accelerated aging, potentially predicting illness risk or poor prognosis. Individuals diagnosed with major depression experience a more rapid cognitive decline alongside changes in brain structure and function. However, interpreting age-related decline in this population is complicated by significant symptom and clinical heterogeneity.

My research leverages large, densely phenotyped clinical cohorts to better understand this heterogeneity, with the goal of developing precise and effective clinical interventions. In my talk, I will explore the cognitive and neuroimaging correlates of aging, and how they are altered in the context of depression. I will highlight novel applications of brain aging to understand age-related factors in depression, with a focus on executive function, suicidality, and treatment response. Lastly, I will introduce subtyping approaches as a means to better understand the complexities of aging and heterogeneity within this population.

A pizza lunch will be served. Please bring your own beverage.

Graduate students and postdocs are encouraged to sign up for lunch with the speaker after the seminar. Space is limited – to join, please email: pennmindcore@sas.upenn.edu

This is a joint seminar with the Penn Brain Science, Translation, Innovation, and Modulation (brainSTIM) Center.