Sarah Bauermeister

I am a senior researcher, psychometrician, multi-disciplinary analyst and member of the MRC Dementia’s Platform UK (DPUK) team and  European Prevention of Alzheimer's Disease (EPAD) study group managed by Professor John Gallacher, director of DPUK. My roles include conducting Item Response Theory (IRT) analyses on large cohort mental health scale data and utilising Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) to explore  relationships, both cross-sectional and longitudinal between mental health and other outcome variables such as cognition and health. I am also Data Manager for DPUK which includes facilitating data access for the Real World Outcomes AD (ROADMAP) project. https://www.dementiasplatform.uk/ 

In the past I have investigated the effects of lifestyle activities, physical fitness and mental health on cognition in older age with specific interests in the effect of poor mental health on cognitive decline. My current research focuses on investigating the effect of mental health on cognition across the lifespan. I am also investigating the effects of childhood adversity on adult psychological, physiological, cognitive and dementia outcomes using cross-cohort DPUK data. 

In my previous position, as a research fellow at the University of Leeds I was project lead investigating the cognitive, postural and physiological predictors of falls and frailty in old age using a multiple methodological approach, advanced statistical procedures and structural equation modelling. This research involved participants in both the community and local NHS hospitals. I maintain an interest in understanding cognitive and physiological predictors of falls and frailty using UK Biobank and DPUK data.