The Memory & Ageing Lab group is led by Professor Louise Brown Nicholls. The group comprises numerous researcher staff, PhD researchers, and undergraduate and masters students.

We're interested in cognitive processing across the adult lifespan, especially short-term ("working") memory and attention. A core interest is in ways to maximise cognitive abilities through cognitive strategies. We also investigate relationships amongst health and lifestyle factors and cognitive abilities during ageing, such as the role of emotion (anxiety) and level of cognitive engagement in everyday life.

Example areas of interest include:

• the development of visuo-spatial working memory capacity across the adult lifespan
• the role of task strategy on young and older adults’ working memory capacity
• young and older adults’ ability to associate ("bind") visuo-spatial information in working memory
• the impacts of trait anxiety on working memory and attention
• the impacts of everyday cognitive stimulation on older adults’ cognitive, health, and social outcomes

Our research has been awarded funding by the Economic and Social Research Council, the Chief Scientist Office, The Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, and the British Academy/Leverhulme Trust. We have an international network of collaborators, and some of our research is multidisciplinary. We have an extensive network of external collaborators and regularly engage the public with our research, giving talks in the community and as part of our University’s Engage programme.

Research participation opportunities

If you are interested in joining our Older Adult Participant Panel, which facilitates our Department's ageing-related research, you can find out more here!