Rebecca Áilish Atkinson

Rebecca Atkinson is a cognitive psychologist working in the Centre for Dementia Studies at Brighton and Sussex Medical School. Rebecca has a wide range of research interests, centred on how to reduce risk of developing dementia, and how to promote quality of life and functional independence in people with dementia. She is particularly interested in the role of lifestyle factors (e.g., social engagement, cognitive and leisure activities, diet), environmental factors (e.g., light, temperature), and genetic factors on wellbeing and cognitive function, as well as dementia risk. Rebecca also has a keen interest in identifying barriers to dementia support for minority and disadvantaged groups. She uses a broad range of methods to investigate these topics, including both experimental and longitudinal modelling approaches.

Rebecca completed her PhD in Psychology at the University of Sussex in 2020. Her thesis explored the effect of carrying a genetic risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease (the APOE-ɛ4 allele) and the impact of cognitive and leisure activities on healthy cognitive ageing across the lifespan.