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Dr Louise Schindler
Name:
Louise Schindler
Job title:
Postdoctoral Researcher
Place of work / study:
King’s College London
Area of Research:
My PhD focused on the connection between menopause, cardiometabolic health, and brain ageing. Currently I research depression and antidepressant response using genetics.
How is your work funded:
Wellcome; through a grant that my supervisor holds
Tell us a little about yourself:
I am a neuroscientist using large-scale datasets such as the UK Biobank to understand how women’s brains and bodies change across the lifespan, with a particular focus on how female-specific factors like menopause interact with cardiometabolic health and stress to shape brain ageing. During my PhD at the FemiLab (Lausanne University Hospital), I showed that cardiometabolic health during the menopause years is linked to signs of brain ageing up to a decade later. In my postdoctoral work at King’s College London, I identified genetic and clinical risk factors for long-lasting, treatment-resistant depression. Across this work, my goal is to identify which women are most at risk of conditions like dementia and depression, pinpoint where prevention can make the biggest difference, and make sure this knowledge reaches women themselves.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself:
I mostly listen to soundtrack music, especially while working. Makes my data analysis feel a bit more adventurous 😉
Why did you choose to work in dementia?
I’ve always been interested in human health and disease, and dementia is one of the biggest health challenges we face. Understanding its risk factors, especially those unique to women, could help us identify those at risk and intervene much earlier.
What single piece of advice would you give to an early-career researcher?
Get a mentor! Not someone who you work with or even necessarily in academia, but someone who can give you unbiased advice about tricky situations, next career steps, and help you to think outside the box.
What book are you reading right now? Would you recommend it?
Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas – deep in my Romantasy era 🙂
Favourite film of all time?
Impossible to choose, sorry!
Favourite ways to unplug and unwind?
Out in nature – either on a hike, a run, or on my bike
What’s the best decision you ever made?
Impossible to rank, but starting a PhD in women’s health is pretty up there 🙂
What’s your favourite vacation spot?
Big fan of mountains!
Do you collect anything?
Pretty handmade mugs for my morning coffee
Rahul Sidhu
Wellcome Trust
