Dr Mario Parra Rodriguez

Head Of Department

Psychology

Personal statement

Research interests: Mechanisms underlying normal and abnormal cognitive ageing. Cognitive and behavioural changes in neurodegenerative diseases, with emphasis on Alzheimer’s Disease. The investigation of functional brain changes (fMRI, EEG, ERP, Brain Connectivity) in the course of dementing illnesses and other brain disorders. Development of cognitive tests for the early detection of dementia with emphasis on Alzheimer’s disease. Development of technology-based intervention procedures to enhance functions of everyday life in older people who are experiencing cognitive decline. I also have an interest in the biopsychosocial mechanisms of abnormal behaviours (e.g., violence) in the context of social conflicts.

Biography: I graduated as a Medical Doctor in 1993 and as a Clinical Neurophysiologist in 1997. I worked at the Cuban Neuroscience Centre and at different University Hospitals in Cuba and in Colombia. During my clinical work I focused on neuropsychological and neurophysiological aspects of dementia syndromes and other neurological disorders. I taught neuroscience related subjects in the field of medicine and psychology. My motivation for teaching and research led me to a major career change into academia. This started with my PhD in 2005 at the University of Edinburgh and continued with three Postdoctoral Fellowships and a position as a Clinical Studies Officer within the NHS Scotland. I was as an Assistant Professor in Psychology at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh from 2015 until 2018. I am currently a Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow.

Expertise

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Prize And Awards

Invited Professor Brain Health CPD courses in Latin America: Recipient; 26/1/2022
Neuroscientific Officer for ViewMind: Recipient; 2022
Member of the Executive Committee Scottish Dementia Research Consrtium: Recipient; 26/2/2021
Invited Professor MSc in Clinical Neuropsychology, University Surcolombiana: Recipient; 2021
Honorary Fellowship with the School of Philosophy, Psychology and Language Sciences, University of Edinburgh: Recipient; 9/9/2020
Nuffield Council on Bioethics, New in-depth inquiry: the future of ageing: Recipient; 29/7/2020

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Publications

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Publications

Oculomotor behaviors during visual short-term memory binding in healthy aging: Parra Mario A, McPherson Grace, Verge Danilo, Rotstein Nora, Fernández Gerardo; Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition Vol 32, pp. 765-785 (2025); https://doi.org/10.1080/13825585.2025.2510925
Attentional bias to threat as a biomarker for populations exposed to armed conflicts: Gómez Diana, López José D, Parra Mario A, Trujillo Natalia; Peace and Conflict (2025)
Can Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB) discriminate between patients with Alzheimer’s and frontotemporal dementia?: Grandi Fabrissio, Olavarría Loreto, Parra Mario A, Martínez-Pernía David, Serey Cesar, Lema Jose, Delgado Carolina, Ramos Teresita, Lillo Patricia, García Adolfo M, Muniz-Terrera Graciela, Slachevsky Andrea; Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology (2025); https://doi.org/10.1093/arclin/acaf073
Multiplex nodal modularity : a novel network metric for the regional analysis of amnestic mild cognitive impairment during a working memory binding task: Campbell-Cousins Avalon, Guazzo Federica, Bastin Mark, Parra Mario A, Escudero Javier; PLOS One Vol 20 (2025); https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0328736
Examining the cognitive underpinnings of functional decline in prodromal alzheimer’s disease : insights from the details of functions of everyday life (DoFEL) scale: O’Donald Frederick, Calia Clara, Parra Mario A; Journal of Aging Research Vol 2025 (2025); https://doi.org/10.1155/jare/2610700
Eye movements powered by AI identify asymptomatic carriers of familial Alzheimer’s disease: Fernández Gerardo, Méndez Luis Guillermo, Lopera Francisco, Aguillon David, Parra Rodriguez Mario; Brain Communications (2025)

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Research

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Professional Activities

4th Brain Health Summit: Participant; 24/6/2025
Cross-cultural and inclusive approaches to building capacity and developing new technologies for brain health, ageing, and dementia: Participant; 9/6/2025
Are there EEG markers of critical transition points in the continuum from normal ageing to Alzheimer’s disease dementia?: Speaker; 6/9/2024
Can the EEG identify transition points in the Alzheimer's continuum?: Speaker; 5/6/2024
Esra Savaş: Host; 1/6/2024
Health and Care Futures: thematic areas workshop: Participant; 30/5/2024

More professional activities

Projects

ViewMind Dementia and Alzheimer's Project Continuation: Parra Rodriguez, Mario (Principal Investigator); 01-Jan-2025 - 30-Jan-2025
ViewMind Dementia and Alzheimer's Project: Parra Rodriguez, Mario (Principal Investigator); 01-Jan-2024 - 30-Jan-2024
Strategy training to support healthy cognitive ageing: behavioural, neuroimaging, and real-world investigations: Brown Nicholls, Louise (Principal Investigator) Parra Rodriguez, Mario (Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2023 - 31-Jan-2027
A mixed-methods investigation of young and older adults’ strategies during age-sensitive visual working memory: co-developing a novel strategy training intervention: Hart, Rebecca (Post Grad Student) Brown Nicholls, Louise (Principal Investigator) Parra Rodriguez, Mario (Co-investigator); SGSSS ESRC student-led studentship awarded to R. Hart; 01-Jan-2023 - 30-Jan-2026
Mental Health Futures Collaborative: Cogan, Nicola (Principal Investigator) Parra Rodriguez, Mario (Principal Investigator) Fleming, Leanne (Principal Investigator) Quinn, Neil (Principal Investigator) Tse, Dwight (Principal Investigator) Knifton, Lee (Principal Investigator) McCann, Lisa (Principal Investigator) Maguire, Roma (Principal Investigator) Smith, Matthew (Principal Investigator) Graham, Christopher Darryl (Principal Investigator) Grealy, Madeleine (Principal Investigator) Stephen, Susan (Principal Investigator) Weir, Natalie Mcfadyen (Principal Investigator) Donnachie, Craig (Principal Investigator) Cameron, Julie (Principal Investigator) Kane, Tony (Co-investigator) Lakey, Trevor (Academic) Donovan, Kevin (Fellow); This Engage with Strathclyde event is aimed at all those with an interest in mental health including people with lived experience, NHS and social care personnel and staff, occupational health and human resource management staff, student support services, university student and staff, academics, private and public sector and other personnel interested in mental health research and knowledge exchange.; 12-Jan-2023 - 12-Jan-2023
Biosemi electroencephalography (EEG) amplifier: McGeown, William (Principal Investigator) Parra Rodriguez, Mario (Co-investigator) Sakata, Shuzo (Co-investigator); 01-Jan-2023 - 30-Jan-2024