Teresa Liu-Ambrose | |
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Academic background | |
Education | BSc, 1994, MA, 1998, PhD, 2004, University of British Columbia |
Thesis | Studies of fall risk and bone morphology in older women with low bone mass (2004) |
Academic work | |
Institutions | University of British Columbia |
Teresa Yeong Lih Liu-Ambrose is a Canadian physical therapist. She is a Canada Research Chair of Physical Activity,Mobility,and Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of British Columbia.
Liu-Ambrose completed her Bachelor of Science degree in physical therapy in 1994 at the University of British Columbia and remained at the institution for her Master's degree in 1998 and PhD in 2004. [1] During her post-doctoral fellowship at UBC, [2] she was the recipient of the Alice Wilson Award from the Royal Society of Canada [3] and a 2006 Career Investigator Award. [4]
Upon completing her post-doctoral fellowship in 2006,Liu-Ambrose joined the faculty at UBC as an assistant professor in their Department of Physical Therapy. [5] While serving as an assistant professor,she focused on preventing both neurocognitive and physical decline in older adults. In 2010,she led the Brain Power Study which found that "12 months of once-weekly or twice-weekly progressive strength training improved executive cognitive function" in women between the ages of 65 and 75 years old. The follow-up study became the first to prove that both cognitive and economic benefits were sustained after formal cessation of a tailored exercise program. [6] Two years later,her research team also led the first randomized controlled trial to "compare the efficacy of both resistance and aerobic training to improve executive cognitive functions necessary for independent living." The results showed that implementing a seniors’exercise program could improve their neurocognitive and physical decline. [7]
As a result of her research into preventing both neurocognitive and physical decline in older adults,Liu-Ambrose was appointed a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair of Physical Activity,Mobility,and Cognitive Neuroscience in 2012. [8] Following her appointment,Liu-Ambrose was also named the co-director of the Centre for Hip Health and Mobility alongside David Wilson and Pierre Guy. [9] She was later elected to the Royal Society of Canada's College of New Scholars,Artists and Scientists. [10]
During the COVID-19 pandemic,Liu-Ambrose was one of three principal investigators of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging Covid-19 Study:Understanding the Impact of COVID-19 on Brain Health. [11] The aim of the project was to investigate the impact of COVID-19 on cognitive function,brain structure and brain function in adults aged 55 to 80 years. [12] In 2021,Liu-Ambrose was elected to the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences [13] and named the recipient of the John McNeill Excellence in Health Research Mentorship Award. [14]
Aging is a major risk factor for most common neurodegenerative diseases,including mild cognitive impairment,dementias including Alzheimer's disease,cerebrovascular disease,Parkinson's disease,and Lou Gehrig's disease. While much research has focused on diseases of aging,there are few informative studies on the molecular biology of the aging brain in the absence of neurodegenerative disease or the neuropsychological profile of healthy older adults. However,research suggests that the aging process is associated with several structural,chemical,and functional changes in the brain as well as a host of neurocognitive changes. Recent reports in model organisms suggest that as organisms age,there are distinct changes in the expression of genes at the single neuron level. This page is devoted to reviewing the changes associated with healthy aging.
Cognitive disorders (CDs),also known as neurocognitive disorders (NCDs),are a category of mental health disorders that primarily affect cognitive abilities including learning,memory,perception,and problem solving. Neurocognitive disorders include delirium,mild neurocognitive disorders,and major neurocognitive disorder. They are defined by deficits in cognitive ability that are acquired,typically represent decline,and may have an underlying brain pathology. The DSM-5 defines six key domains of cognitive function:executive function,learning and memory,perceptual-motor function,language,complex attention,and social cognition.
Adele Dorothy Diamond is a professor of neuroscience at the University of British Columbia,where she is currently a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience. One of the pioneers in the field of developmental cognitive neuroscience,Diamond researches how executive functions are affected by biological and environmental factors,especially in children. Her discoveries have improved treatment for disorders such as phenylketonuria and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder,and they have impacted early education.
The National Core for Neuroethics at the University of British Columbia was established in August 2007,with support from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research,the Institute of Mental Health and Addiction,the Canada Foundation for Innovation,the British Columbia Knowledge Development Fund,the Canada Research Chairs program,the UBC Brain Research Centre and the UBC Institute of Mental Health. Co-founded by Judy Illes and Peter Reiner,the Core studies neuroethics,with particular focus on ethics in neurodegenerative disease and regenerative medicine,international and cross-cultural challenges in brain research,neuroimaging and ethics,the neuroethics of enhancement,and personalized medicine.
Helen J. Neville was a Canadian psychologist and neuroscientist known internationally for her research in the field of human brain development.
Judy Illes,,PHD,FRSC,FCAHS,is Professor of Neurology and Distinguished University Scholar in Neuroethics at the University of British Columbia. She is Director of Neuroethics Canada at UBC,and faculty in the Brain Research Centre at UBC and at the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute. She also holds affiliate appointments in the School of Population and Public Health and the School of Journalism at UBC,and in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington in Seattle,WA. USA. She was appointed a member of the Order of Canada in 2017.
GeroScience is a scientific journal focused on the biology of aging and on mechanistic studies using clinically relevant models of aging and chronic age-related diseases. The journal also publishes articles on health-related aspects of human aging,including biomarkers of aging,multisystem physiology of aging and pathophysiology of age-related diseases.
Automated Neuropsychological Assessment Metrics (ANAM),is a library of computer-based assessments of cognitive domains including attention,concentration,reaction time,memory,processing speed,and decision-making. ANAM has been administered nearly two million times in a variety of applications and settings. ANAM provides clinicians and researchers with tests to evaluate changes in an individual’s cognitive status over time.
Ryan C.N. D'Arcy is a Canadian neuroscientist,researcher,innovator and entrepreneur. D'Arcy co-founded HealthTech Connex Inc. and serves as President and Chief Scientific Officer. HealthTech Connex translates neuroscience advances into health technology breakthroughs. D'Arcy is most known for coining the term "brain vital signs" and for leading the research and development of the brain vital signs framework.
Wendy Suzuki is a Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology at the New York University Center for Neural Science and popular science communicator. She is the author of Healthy Brain,Happy Life:A Personal Program to Activate Your Brain and Do Everything Better. Since September 1,2022,she has served as Dean of the New York University College of Arts &Science.
Sabina Brennan is an Irish neuroscientist,psychologist,and former television actress. She is currently an adjunct assistant professor working at Trinity College Dublin.
The ABCD Study is an ongoing longitudinal research study being undertaken by a consortium of 21 data collection sites across the United States. The study aims to collect data on the behavior and brain development of over 11,500 children beginning at age 9-10 and continuing through young adulthood.
Janice Jennifer Eng is a professor in the University of British Columbia's Department of Physical Therapy and Canada Research Chair in Neurological Rehabilitation.
Gina Suzanne Ogilvie is a Canadian global and public health physician. She is a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Global Control of HPV Related Diseases and Cancer,and Professor at the University of British Columbia in the School of Population and Public Health,Faculty of Medicine.
Kathleen Anne Martin Ginis is a Canadian exercise behavioural scientist. She is a Full professor in the Department of Medicine and in the School of Health and Exercise Sciences at the University of British Columbia. She also holds the Reichwald Family UBC Southern Medical Program Chair in Preventive Medicine.
Liisa Ann Margaret Galea is a Canadian neuroscientist who is a professor of psychology at the University of British Columbia. She is a member of the Centre for Brain Health and Director of the Graduate Programme in Neuroscience. Her research considers the impact of hormones on brain health and behaviour.
Staci Ann Gruber is an Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Director of the Cognitive and Clinical Neuroimaging Core (CCNC) and the Marijuana Investigation for Neuroscientific Discovery (MIND) Program. She is known for her work examining substance use and psychiatric conditions using advanced neuroimaging techniques and measures of cognitive performance.
The Women's Healthy Ageing Project (WHAP) is the longest ongoing medical research project examining the health of Australian women. Its landmark studies concern women's heart and brain health,a long-neglected area of specialised research.
Bojana Stefanovic is a Canadian neuroscientist. She is a senior scientist at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Functional Brain Neuroimaging at the University of Toronto.
Kimberly G. Noble is an American neuroscientist and pediatrician known for her work in socioeconomic disparities and children's cognitive development. She is Professor of Neuroscience and Education at Teachers College,Columbia University and Director of the Neurocognition,Early Experience and Development (NEED) Lab.
Teresa Liu-Ambrose publications indexed by Google Scholar