As humans age, their minds and bodies undergo many changes. While many of these changes are a universal experience, such as graying hair and weakening bones, other changes, like those that affect the brain, raise many questions and concerns for researchers. Among them is Ashley Curtis, PhD, a trailblazing researcher in the USF College of Nursing, investigating how cognitive function relates to sleep in aging adults.
Director of the Cognition, Aging, Sleep and Health (CASH) Lab, housed at the college, Curtis’ research analyzes the impact of poor sleep health on the mental functioning of middle-age and older adults. She also aims to develop and evaluate cognitive interventions that may improve cognition and sleep in older adults. Curtis notes that 1 in 9 individuals 65 years and older will develop Alzheimer’s, with two thirds of those being women. She says her studies aid in Alzheimer’s research by pointing to sex-specific modifiable risk factors for cognitive decline that can potentially be monitored and treated in older adults during a critical period – before the onset of severe cognitive decline.
Ashley Curtis, PhD, poses with her Valerie D Riddle, M.D., Award in Health.
“It is really important to better understand the factors that may interact and impact mental abilities as we age,” says Curtis. “This will help middle-aged and older adults know how they can decrease their risk of developing severe cognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease.”
Through several grant funded projects, Curtis and her team at the CASH Lab are exploring computerized cognitive training- and looking at its impact on mental functioning and sleep.
Curtis has been passionate about aging and sleep studies throughout her career. Her journey began as a sleep technician in a sleep clinic after completing her undergraduate degree, where she observed firsthand how sleep patterns affect brain signals. As she pursued her doctoral and post-doctoral training in cognitive aging, neurodegeneration and behavioral sleep medicine, Curtis seamlessly integrated her interests.
Curtis’ research recently earned her the Valerie D Riddle, M.D., Award in Health at the USF WLP Faculty Excellence Awards.