ARUK Fellow

Cambridge Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Group

Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge.

Email: sb2403@medschl.cam.ac.uk

I am interested in studying the degenerative brain changes in people with Down’s syndrome using sophisticated brain scanning techniques. Recent advances in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) allow high resolution images of the brain using 7 Tesla MRI, which means we can get much more detailed and precise measurements of brain structure and function. In my Fellowship, I aim to answer the question of how sleep quality affects brain changes in people with Down’s syndrome, a high-risk group for Alzheimer’s disease. This can inform the development of new treatments and preventions, as sleep is a promising target for therapies that may delay the onset and reduce the severity of Alzheimer’s in people with Down’s syndrome.

In addition to using ultra-high-field MRI in my research, I am also interested in how mobile gaming and technology can better help us understand changes to cognition and spatial awareness abilities as people at risk for dementia age.

Projects:

High-resolution brain imaging and sleep in Down syndrome study
Sea Hero Quest Study
The role of sleep in people with Down’s syndrome and Alzheimer’s disease