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Dr Emily Willroth
Name:
Dr Emily Willroth
Job Title:
Assistant Professor
Place of work / study:
Washington University in St. Louis
Area of Research:
My research focuses on how different components of psychosocial wellbeing (e.g., life satisfaction, sense of purpose, social connection, positive emotion) vary and change across time, both in the short-term from moment-to-moment and in the long-term across the adult lifespan. I apply insights from this research to examine links between psychosocial wellbeing and important health outcomes in middle and older adulthood, such as cognitive decline, dementia, and stroke.
How is your research funded:
National Institutes of Health
Tell us a little about yourself:
I am an Assistant Professor of Psychological & Brain Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis where I direct the Wellbeing and Emotion across the Lifespan Lab (i.e., WELLab). I received my PhD in Psychology from the University of California Berkeley and I completed my postdoctoral training in Medical Social Sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself:
Growing up, my family hosted punk rock shows in our basement. What started as an outlet for my brother’s band to play for our ~10 friends turned into 100+ person shows with artists from all over the region.
Why did you choose to work in dementia research?
Biomedical treatment options for dementia are extremely limited relative to many other diseases and clinical syndromes, making prevention critically important. A large and growing body of research highlights the profound importance of psychosocial factors for dementia prevention. As a health psychologist, I was inspired by the potential for my field to make a real difference in reducing dementia risk.
What single piece of advice would you give to an early career researcher?
Build and nurture relationships with other early career researchers. Celebrate their successes and support them during difficult moments.
What book are you reading right now? Would you recommend it?
Happy Place by Emily Henry
Favourite ways to unplug and unwind?
Reading fiction books
Favourite film of all time?
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
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