Sharon Naismith

Sharon Linda Naismith AM FASSA is an Australian clinical neuropsychologist who researches aging, dementia, and cognitive decline. ^[1] She is the Leonard P. Ullman Chair in Psychology at the University of Sydney School of Psychology. ^[1] Sharon founded the Healthy Brain Ageing Project in 2010, which focuses on modifiable risk factors for cognitive decline and dementia including depression, sleep disturbance and cardiovascular disease. ^[2] In 2023, Naismith was elected to the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia. ^[3]

Naismith earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and a D.Psych. from Macquarie University. ^{[4] [5]} Her 2004 dissertation was titled, Implicit Sequence Learning in Depression Relationship to Neuropsychological, Clinical, Vascular and Genetic Risk Factors. ^[5] Her dissertation supervisors were Ian Hickie and Edwin Arthur Shores. ^[5]

Naismith's research focus on aging, dementia, and cognitive decline, particularly modifiable risk factors such as sleep disturbance, is a key part of her career. ^{[1] [6]} One project, the REducing Sleep Apnoea for the PrEvention of Dementia (REShAPED) trial, received funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC). ^{[1] [6]} This trial investigates the link between sleep apnoea and dementia risk, a significant aspect of her research. ^{[1] [6]}

Naismith was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2025 Australia Day Honours for her "significant service to neuropsychology, particularly dementia, through medical research and clinical practice". ^[7]

Selected publications

• Naismith, S. L., Duffy, S. L., Cross, N., Grunstein, R., Terpening, Z., Hoyos, C., D'Rozario, A., Lagopoulos, J., Osorio, R. S., Shine, J. M., & McKinnon, A. C. (2020). Nocturnal hypoxemia is associated with altered parahippocampal functional brain connectivity in older adults at risk for dementia. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, 73(2), 571-584. https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-190747
• Naismith, S. L., & Mowszowski, L. (2018). Sleep disturbance in mild cognitive impairment: a systematic review of recent findings. Current opinion in psychiatry, 31(2), 153-159.https://doi.org/10.1097/yco.0000000000000397
• Naismith, S. L., Hickie, I. B., Terpening, Z., Rajaratnam, S. W., Hodges, J. R., Bolitho, S., Rogers, N. L., Lewis, S. J. W. (2014). Circadian misalignment and sleep disruption in mild cognitive impairment. Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, 38(4), 857-866. https://doi.org/10.3233/JAD-131217
• Naismith, S. L., Mowszowski, L., Diamond, K., & Lewis, S. J. (2013). Improving memory in Parkinson's disease: a healthy brain ageing cognitive training program. Movement Disorders, 28(8), 1097-1103. https://doi.org/10.1002/mds.25457
• Naismith, S. L., Hermens, D. F., Ip, T. K. C., Bolitho, S., Scott, E., Rogers, N. L., & Hickie, I. B. (2012). Circadian profiles in young people during the early stages of affective disorder. TranslationalPsychiatry, 2(5), e123-e123. https://doi.org/10.1038/tp.2012.47
• Naismith, S. L., Norrie, L. M., Mowszowski, L., & Hickie, I. B. (2012). The neurobiology of depression in later-life: clinical, neuropsychological, neuroimaging and pathophysiological features. Progress in neurobiology, 98(1), 99-143. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pneurobio.2012.05.009
• Naismith, S. L., Diamond, K., Carter, P. E., Norrie, L. M., Redoblado-Hodge, M. A., Lewis, S. J., & Hickie, I. B. (2011). Enhancing memory in late-life depression: the effects of a combined psychoeducation and cognitive training program. The American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 19(3), 240-248. https://doi.org/10.1097/JGP.0b013e3181dba587
• Naismith, S. L., Rogers, N. L., Lewis, S. J., Terpening, Z., Ip, T., Diamond, K., Norrie, L., & Hickie, I. B. (2011). Sleep disturbance relates to neuropsychological functioning in late-life depression. Journal of affective disorders, 132(1-2), 139-145. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2011.02.027
• Naismith, S. L., Lewis, S. J., & Rogers, N. L. (2011). Sleep-wake changes and cognition in neurodegenerative disease. Progress in brain research, 190, 21-52. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-53817-8.00002-5
• Naismith, S. L., Shine, J. M., & Lewis, S. J. (2010). The specific contributions of set‐shifting to freezing of gait in Parkinson's disease. Movement Disorders, 25(8), 1000-1004. https://doi.org/10.1002/mds.23005
• Naismith, S. L., Redoblado-Hodge, M. A., Lewis, S. J., Scott, E. M., & Hickie, I. B. (2010). Cognitive training in affective disorders improves memory: a preliminary study using the NEAR approach. Journal ofAffective Disorders, 121(3), 258-262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2009.06.028
• Naismith, S. L., Rogers, N. L., Hickie, I. B., Mackenzie, J., Norrie, L. M., Lewis, S. J. G. (2010). Sleep well, think well: Sleep-wake disturbance in mild cognitive impairment. Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology, 23(2), 123-130. https://doi.org/10.1177/0891988710363710
• Naismith, S. L., Glozier, N., Burke, D., Carter, P. E., Scott, E., & Hickie, I. B. (2009). Early intervention for cognitive decline: is there a role for multiple medical or behavioural interventions?. Early Intervention in Psychiatry, 3(1), 19-27. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-7893.2008.00102.x
• Naismith, S.L., Longley, W.A., Scott, E.M., & Hickie, I. B. (2007). Disability in major depression related to self-rated and objectively-measured cognitive deficits: a preliminary study. BMC Psychiatry, 7(32), 1-7. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-7-32
• Naismith, S. L., Hickie, I. B., Ward, P. B., Scott, E., & Little, C. (2006). Impaired implicit sequence learning in depression: a probe for frontostriatal dysfunction? Psychological Medicine, 36(3), 313–323. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0033291705006835
• Naismith, S. L., Winter, V. R., Hickie, I. B., & Cistulli, P. A. (2005). Effect of oral appliance therapy on neurobehavioral functioning in obstructive sleep apnea: a randomized controlled trial. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 1(04), 374-380. https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.26365
• Naismith, S. L., Winter, V., Gotsopoulos, H., Hickie, I. B, & Cistulli, P. (2004). Neurobehavioral Functioning in Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Differential Effects of Sleep Quality, Hypoxemia and Subjective Sleepiness. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 26(1), 43–54. https://doi.org/10.1076/jcen.26.1.43.23929
• Naismith, S. L., Hickie, I. B., Turner, K., Little, C. L., Winter, V., Ward, P. B, Wilhelm, K., Mitchell, P., & Parker, G. (2003). Neuropsychological performance in patients with depression is associated with clinical, etiological and genetic risk factors. Journal of clinical and experimental neuropsychology, 25(6), 866-877. https://doi.org/10.1076/jcen.25.6.866.16472
• Naismith, S. L., Hickie, I. B., Ward, P. B., Turner, K., Scott, E., Little, C., Mitchell, P., Wilhelm, K., & Parker, G. (2002). Caudate nucleus volumes and genetic determinants of homocysteine metabolism in the prediction of psychomotor speed in older persons with depression. American Journal of Psychiatry, 159(12), 2096-2098. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.159.12.2096
• Naismith, S. L., Hickie, I. B., Scott, E. M., & Davenport, T. A. (2001). Effects of mental health training and clinical audit on general practitioners' management of common mental disorders. Medical Journal of Australia, 175, S42-S47. https://doi.org/10.5694/j.1326-5377.2001.tb143789.x

References

1. "Staff Profile". The University of Sydney. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
2. "Academy Fellow". Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia. Retrieved 2024-07-24.
3. "The Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia welcomes 21 new Fellows". Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia. 2023-11-08. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
4. "Sharon Naismith, neuropsychology researcher". www.abc.net.au. 2011-06-28. Retrieved 2024-03-24.
5. Naismith, Sharon Linda (2004). Implicit Sequence Learning in Depression Relationship to Neuropsychological, Clinical, Vascular and Genetic Risk Factors (D.Psych. thesis). Macquarie University. OCLC   926620418.
6. "$1.5 million awarded for dementia prevention study". The University of Sydney. Retrieved 2024-10-12.
7. "Professor Sharon Linda NAISMITH". Australian Honours Search Facility. Retrieved 2025-02-09.