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Dr Vanessa Young
Name:
Dr Vanessa Young
Job title:
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Place of work / study:
UT Health San Antonio
Area of Research:
My research focuses on the intersection of sleep health, stress biology, and Alzheimer’s disease risk in the context of health disparities and social determinants of health. I examine how biological stress pathways and sleep disturbances contribute to neurodegeneration in underserved communities, with an interest in digital biomarkers as tools for early detection and monitoring.
How is your work funded:
My research is currently supported through my mentor’s sponsorhip as a newly minted PhD. I have recently applied for a T32 training fellowship and am preparing an F32 individual fellowship application to support my independent research training.
Tell us a little about yourself:
I am a postdoctoral research fellow at the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases at UT Health San Antonio. My work sits at the intersection of sleep health, stress biology, and Alzheimer’s disease risk, with a particular interest in health disparities and what digital biomarkers and passive monitoring technologies can reveal about early disease processes in real-world settings. I came to research through a non-traditional path, with prior experience working in clinical settings including with military populations, and that shapes how I approach my work. I have spent a lot of time doing community outreach across South Texas and the US-Mexico border region, and that experience keeps me grounded in why any of this matters beyond the lab. Outside of research, I serve as Communications Chair for the ISTAART Technology and Dementia Professional Interest Area and teach undergraduate psychology at Arizona State University. I genuinely love finding ways to make science land with different audiences, which is what drew me to this podcast. When I am not doing any of that, you will probably find me with a camera in hand or a cat in my lap.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself:
My husband and I lived in Kenya for 2 years and adopted a baby elephant. Her name is Kamok, and about 12 years old.
Why did you choose to work in dementia?
I actually set out to become an early childhood developmental specialist during my undergraduate program. But during my clinical work with patients with traumatic brain injury, I became increasingly fascinated by a question I could not let go of: why does the brain degenerate, and what sets that process in motion in some individuals? Sleep kept emerging as a thread I could not ignore, this seemingly simple behavior with profound consequences for neurological health, and that intersection pulled me in a direction I had never anticipated. The shift became permanent when I joined the Glenn Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases under Dr. Sudha Seshadri. The Glenn Biggs gave me the scientific home, the mentorship, and the connection to a community that carries a disproportionate burden of this disease. Turning those early questions into research that could actually matter for the people around me made everything click into place.
What single piece of advise would you give to an early career researcher?
Do not compare yourself to others, especially on social media. What you see online is a highlight reel, the acceptances, the grants, the celebrations. You rarely see the rejections, the years of struggle, or the self-doubt that came before. Everyone’s path looks different, and most of the messy middle is invisible. Run your own race.
What book are you reading right now? Would you recommend it?
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Favourite film of all time?
Can’t decide
Favourite ways to unplug and unwind?
Zumba, yoga, and time with family and friends!
What’s the best decision you ever made?
Marrying my husband and deciding to chase my dreams, turns out the two go hand in hand.
What’s your favourite vacation spot?
Italy!
Do you collect anything?
No
Alzheimer's Association
