Nisha Dhanda
Name:
Nisha Dhanda
Job title:
Teaching Fellow and PhD Candidate
Place of work / study:
Aston University, College of Health and Life Sciences
Area of Research:
Role of social isolation in older adults living with dementia and hearing loss [1]. Interventions to improve communication and social engagement in older adults living with dementia and hearing loss.
How is your work funded?
Aston University
Tell us a little about yourself:
My background is in clinical Audiology. I have always had an interest in the way people communicate and how this is affected with unmanaged hearing loss and associated comorbidities like cognitive impairment and dementia. I have had a mix of clinical, research and teaching roles. I am coming towards the end of my PhD and look forward to pursuing this research within a social care remit.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself:
I was a Shotokan Karate national champion as a teenager.
Why did you choose to work in dementia?
Dementia is one of the fastest growing non-communicable diseases that has real impact on an individual’s quality of life. I wanted to be part of improving the conditions for people living with dementia.
What book are you reading right now? Would you recommend it?
How not to study a disease [2] – The Story of Alzheimer’s by Karl Herrup. A fantastic and insightful read that challenges pre-assumptions about the history of dementia.