About Francesca
I hold a BA (Hons) degree in Psychology (2011) and a PhD in Behavioural Neuroscience (2015) from The National University of Ireland Maynooth. My doctoral thesis examined the interactions between different brain regions during memory processing in rodents.
Before joining Whelan Lab, I was a postdoctoral researcher at the School of Psychology, University College Dublin, working with Dr Ciara Greene. My work explored how individual differences in memory shape perceptions of our environment in an applied context (eyewitness memory).
In January 2018, I began an Irish Research Council Enterprise Postdoctoral Fellowship, in partnership with BrainWaveBank. My project focuses on developing tools to detect changes in memory that occur during healthy aging and disease.
I hold an Irish Research Council Engaging Civic Society Grant (2019) in collaboration with the Alzheimer’s Society of Ireland. This project explores emotional changes in dementia and their relationship to functional impairment. I also collaborate with the Global Brain Health Institute.
Research Interests
I use behavioural measures (interviews, computer-based tasks) and brain recordings (EEG) to measure cognitive performance in older adults. The goal of this work is to identify neurocognitive markers predicative of age-related decline. Identifying such markers has the potential to inform diagnostics, as well as lifestyle interventions aimed at preserving cognitive function in later life.
In addition to my scientific work, I have a strong interest in the arts. I collaborate with the Creative Life Centre at the Mercer’s Institute of Successful Ageing, St. James’s Hospital on social engagement initiatives (e.g. public events, art workshops). In 2018, I co-authored a book entitled ‘Why Science Needs Art’, exploring the ways in which science and art inform one another. I am also STEM Editor for Women Are Boring, an online advocacy initiative for women in science.
Funding
Irish Research Council Engaging Civic Society Grant 2019
Irish Research Council Enterprise Post-doctoral Fellowship 2018
Professional profiles
Contact me
farinaf(at)tcd(dot)ie