Profile – Natalie Marchant

Name:

Natalie Marchant

Job Title:

Senior Research Fellow

Place of work / study:

University College London, Division of Psychiatry

Area of research:

Risk factors for dementia and behavioural interventions to reduce risk for dementia

How is your work funded?

Alzheimer’s Society, European Commission

Tell us a little about yourself:            

My research focuses on psychological risk factors for dementia and behavioural interventions to reduce these risks. I developed and am empirically testing the concept of ‘Cognitive Debt’ to explain the mechanistic action of these risks, and I am the chief investigator of a European Commission-funded multi-country clinical trial investigating the impact of mindfulness training on anxiety symptoms in older adults at high risk of dementia.

I returned from maternity leave 4 months ago, after giving birth to a lovely little boy, and now work part-time.

Tell us a fun fact about yourself:           

I did a 100K Oxfam walk.

Why did you choose to work in dementia?

It feels like my purpose in life: the world needs more research into the risks for dementia, I am passionate about helping people and intellectually curious about the subject.