Postdoctoral scientist, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University
Dr. Neitzel’s research interest is to understand why some people are more resilient against age-related cognitive decline and dementia – important, yet missing knowledge which could inform better prevention programs. For addressing this question, she combines her knowledge on cognition and brain imaging gained during her under- and postgraduate studies (TUM & LMU Munich, Germany), with her postdoctoral work on genetic and modifiable risk factors of dementia (LMU; Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, the Netherlands). Her work focuses on the preclinical stage of dementia, where people would most likely benefit from prevention programs.
In 2021, Dr. Neitzel was awarded an EU Marie-Curie postdoctoral fellowship to work with Prof Dr. Albert Hofman (HSPH, Boston, USA) and Prof Dr. Meike Vernooij (Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, NL) to deepen our understanding of how a person’s genetics interact with risk and resilience factors in the development of Alzheimer’s-type brain and cognitive changes. The goal is to identify the best target group for lifestyle intervention programs against dementia.
