Dr Mario Parra Rodriguez

Head Of Department

Psychology

Contact

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.

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Publications

Structural inequality and temporal brain dynamics across diverse samples
Baez Sandra, Hernandez Hernan, Moguilner Sebastian, Cuadros Jhosmary, Santamaria-Garcia Hernando, Medel Vicente, Migeot Joaquín, Cruzat Josephine, Valdes-Sosa Pedro A, Lopera Francisco, González- Hernández Alfredis, Bonilla-Santos Jasmin, Gonzalez-Montealegre Rodrigo A, Aktürk Tuba, Legaz Agustina, Altschuler Florencia, Fittipaldi Sol, Yener Görsev G, Escudero Javier, Babiloni Claudio, Lopez Susanna, Whelan Robert, Fernández Lucas Alberto A, Huepe David, Soto-Añari Marcio, Coronel-Oliveros Carlos, Herrera Eduar, Abasolo Daniel, Clark Ruaridh A, Güntekin Bahar, Duran-Aniotz Claudia, Parra Mario A, Lawlor Brian, Tagliazucchi Enzo, Prado Pavel, Ibanez Agustin
Clinical and Translational Medicine Vol 14 (2024)
https://doi.org/10.1002/ctm2.70032
Brain clocks capture diversity and disparities in aging and dementia across geographically diverse populations
Moguilner Sebastian, Baez Sandra, Hernandez Hernan, Migeot Joaquín, Legaz Agustina, Gonzalez-Gomez Raul, Farina Francesca R, Prado Pavel, Cuadros Jhosmary, Tagliazucchi Enzo, Altschuler Florencia, Maito Marcelo Adrián, Godoy María E, Cruzat Josephine, Valdes-Sosa Pedro A, Lopera Francisco, Ochoa-Gómez John Fredy, Hernandez Alfredis Gonzalez, Bonilla-Santos Jasmin, Gonzalez-Montealegre Rodrigo A, Anghinah Renato, d’Almeida Manfrinati Luís E, Fittipaldi Sol, Medel Vicente, Olivares Daniela, Yener Görsev G, Escudero Javier, Babiloni Claudio, Whelan Robert, Güntekin Bahar, Yırıkoğulları Harun, Santamaria-Garcia Hernando, Lucas Alberto Fernández, Huepe David, Di Caterina Gaetano, Soto-Añari Marcio, Birba Agustina, Sainz-Ballesteros Agustin, Coronel-Oliveros Carlos, Yigezu Amanuel, Herrera Eduar, Abasolo Daniel, Kilborn Kerry, Rubido Nicolás, Clark Ruaridh A, Herzog Ruben, Yerlikaya Deniz, Hu Kun, Parra Mario A, Reyes Pablo, García Adolfo M, Matallana Diana L, Avila-Funes José Alberto, Slachevsky Andrea, Behrens María I, Custodio Nilton, Cardona Juan F, Barttfeld Pablo, Brusco Ignacio L, Bruno Martín A, Sosa Ortiz Ana L, Pina-Escudero Stefanie D, Takada Leonel T, Resende Elisa, Possin Katherine L, de Oliveira Maira Okada, Lopez-Valdes Alejandro, Lawlor Brian, Robertson Ian H, Kosik Kenneth S, Duran-Aniotz Claudia, Valcour Victor, Yokoyama Jennifer S, Miller Bruce, Ibanez Agustin
Nature Medicine (2024)
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-024-03209-x
FAST functional connectivity implicates P300 in working memory deficits in Alzheimer’s disease
Roy Om, Moshfeghi Yashar, Ibanez Agustin, Lopera Francisco, Parra Mario A, Smith Keith
Network Neuroscience (2024)
https://doi.org/10.1162/netn_a_00411
The Mediterranean diet is not associated with neuroimaging or cognition in middle-aged adults : a cross-sectional analysis of the PREVENT Dementia Programme
Gregory Sarah, Buller-Peralta Ingrid, Bridgeman Katie, De La Cruz Góngora Vanessa, Dounavi Maria-Eleni, Low Audrey, Ntailianis Georgios, O'Brien John, Parra Mario A, Ritchie Craig W, Ritchie Karen, Shannon Oliver M, Stevenson Emma J, Muniz-Terrera Graciela
European Journal of Neurology Vol 31 (2024)
https://doi.org/10.1111/ene.16345
Brain health in diverse settings : how age, demographics and cognition shape brain function
Hernandez Hernan, Baez Sandra, Medel Vicente, Moguilner Sebastian, Cuadros Jhosmary, Santamaria-Garcia Hernando, Tagliazucchi Enzo, Valdes-Sosa Pedro A, Lopera Francisco, OchoaGómez John Fredy, González Hernández Alfredis, Bonilla-Santos Jasmin, González-Montealegre Rodrigo A, Aktürk Tuba, Yıldırım Ebru, Anghinah Renato, Legaz Agustina, Fittipaldi Sol, Yener Görsev G, Escudero Javier, Babiloni Claudio, Lopez Susanna, Whelan Robert, Fernández Lucas Alberto A, García Adolfo M, Huepe David, Di Caterina Gaetano, Soto-Añari Marcio, Birba Agustina, Sainz-Ballesteros Agustín, Coronel Carlos, Herrera Eduar, Abasolo Daniel, Kilborn Kerry, Rubido Nicolás, Clark Ruaridh, Herzog Ruben, Yerlikaya Deniz, Güntekin Bahar, Parra Mario A, Prado Pavel, Ibanez Agustin
NeuroImage Vol 295 (2024)
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2024.120636
Advancements in dementia research, diagnostics and care in Latin America : highlights from the 2023 Alzheimer's association international conference satellite symposium in Mexico City
Sosa Ana Luisa, Brucki Sonia MD, Crivelli Lucia, Lopera Francisco Javier, Acosta Daisy M, Acosta-Uribe Juliana, Aguilar Diego, Aguilar-Navarro Sara G, Allegri Ricardo F, Bertolucci Paulo HF, Calandri Ismael L, Carrillo Maria C, Mendez Patricio Alexis Chrem, Cornejo-Olivas Mario, Custodio Nilton, Damian Andrés, Cruz de Souza Leonardo, Duran-Aniotz Claudia, Garcia Adolfo M, García-Peña Carmen, Gonzales Mitzi M, Grinberg Lea T, Ibanez Agustin M, Illanes-Manrique Maryenela Zaida, Jack Jr Clifford R, Leon-Salas Jorge Mario, Llibre-Guerra Jorge J, Luna-Muñoz José, Matallana Diana, Miller Bruce L, Naci Lorina, Parra Mario A, Pericak-Vance Margaret, Piña-Escudero Steganie D, de Paula França Resende Elisa, Ringman John M, Sevlever Gustavo, Slachevsky Andrea, Suemoto Claudia Kimie, Valcour Victor, Villegas-Lanau Andres, Yassuda Mônica S, Mahinrad Simin, Sexton Claire
Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association Vol 20, pp. 5009-5026 (2024)
https://doi.org/10.1002/alz.13850

More publications

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Professional Activities

Health and Care Futures: thematic areas workshop
Participant
30/5/2024
Preclinical detection of Alzheimer’s disease: are we asking the right questions and using the right tools?
Speaker
17/10/2023
Alignments in functional connectivity networks
Contributor
8/11/2022
Advanced Online & Onsite Course & Symposium on Artificial Intelligence & Neuroscience
Participant
18/9/2022
National and International Congress Neurosciences and Neuropsychology: Rehabilitation + Technology
Organiser
11/8/2022
Virtual Reality in the Assessment and Intervention of Dementia
Speaker
11/8/2022

More professional activities

Projects

ViewMind Dementia and Alzheimer's Project
Parra Rodriguez, Mario (Principal Investigator)
01-Jan-2024 - 30-Jun-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-Dec-2023 - 31-Mar-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-Oct-2023 - 30-Sep-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-May-2023 - 12-May-2023
Biosemi electroencephalography (EEG) amplifier
McGeown, William (Principal Investigator) Parra Rodriguez, Mario (Co-investigator) Sakata, Shuzo (Co-investigator)
01-May-2023 - 30-Jun-2024
Virtual Reality Assessment and Intervention Systems
Parra Rodriguez, Mario (Principal Investigator)
Health informatics tools for the assessment and rehabilitation of dementias have grown steeply over the last decade both in number and robustness. Particular emphasis has been put on the development of virtual reality (VR) applications due to their scope for patient immersion in naturalistic environments. However, available systems still face important challenges. They still lack the desire ecological validity and flexibility needed to achieve patient adherence to treatment and sustained improvements post-intervention. To achieve ecological validity, such systems should be meaningful to the individual, that is, they should follow a naturalistic approach through which cognitive abilities can be enhanced in contexts and with tasks familiar to the affected person. The flexibility component should allow tailoring the demands of the intervention plan in an intelligent and theory-driven manner reducing the need for therapist-centred interventions and consequently health care costs. This project tackles these challenges by merging VR interactive systems and artificial intelligence (AI). It pursues the following aims:

it will operate in a theory-driven manner
it will enhance cognition by linking, in a meaningful way, virtual and real experiences in daily living settings
it will monitor the physical impact of cognitive enhancement
it will integrate different sources of information to tailor advice that highlights the links across virtual and real environments (intelligent advisor) and to generate digital case notes which will be submitted to the health care team via telecare platforms
24-Mar-2023

More projects

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Contact

Dr Mario Parra Rodriguez
Head Of Department
Psychology

Email: mario.parra-rodriguez@strath.ac.uk
Tel: Unlisted