Professor Eef Hogervorst

My name is Eef, and I am a Professor of Psychology in the School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences.

Exploring risk and protective factors for dementia and age-related cognitive decline

I lead research that aims to transform dementia care, design, diagnosis and prevention methods, and improve people’s quality of life and independence. The Dementia Research Group investigates early diagnostics and modifiable risk and protective factors for dementia worldwide using computerised tests of cognition, sensorimotor function, activity and physiology.

I am involved in exercise and nutritional treatment programs to improve cognitive function and mood in younger, middle-aged and older people with a focus on sex differences. For the last three decades I have been  examining the impacts of menopause, hormones, inequality and health, particularly focusing on the relation of the brain and menopause research.

I really enjoy working with talented thinkers and recognise that studying and researching for a degree is tough and an individual can doubt themselves a lot. That is why a good supervisor is so important, to support you mentally, as well as in content and process, allowing you to develop your own strengths to become an independent and critical thinker.

The other aspect that I enjoy is travelling and speaking at international conferences, meeting people to discuss collaborative research and listening to their work to get ideas to further develop together . The freedom and opportunity to do this is fantastic. I am always surprised that someone is willing to pay me for what I love doing most. ‘Do what you enjoy and you never work a day in your life’ said Mark Twain.

My interests are particularly in early dementia screening and treatment. I have set up collaborations with UK universities in Oxford, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Liverpool, Leeds and London, as well as multiple partners abroad, such as The USA, Indonesia, Shanghai, Bangalore and Perth, to assess my cross-cultural cognitive test battery. This includes the use of standardised questionnaires and in house developed sensitive cognitive tests to investigate risk and protective factors for dementia and age-related cognitive decline. This research is funded by the Alzheimer’s Research Trust and other bodies, such as the New Dynamics of Ageing, British Council and ESRC/NIHR.

Explore Professor Eef Hogervorst's latest research publications

If you would like to get in touch with Professor Eef Hogervorst about collaborating, you can email her at E.Hogervorst@lboro.ac.uk.