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Professor Natalie Phillips
Name:
Professor Natalie Phillips
Job Title:
Professor of Psychology; person with lived experience of dementia
Place of work / study:
Concordia University
Area of Research:
I am a research neuropsychologist who is interested in sensory health and cognition.
How is your work funded:
Canadian federal and provincial funding agencies, including the Canadian Institutes of Health Research
Tell us a little about yourself:
I am a Professor in the Department of Psychology, Concordia University, and I hold the Concordia University Research Chair in Sensory-Cognitive Health in Aging and Dementia. I’m a licensed clinical neuropsychologist and I study the neuropsychology of healthy aging and Alzheimer disease. I examine the relationship between our senses, our cognitive abilities, and language processing in older adults, with a special interest in those who are bilingual. My work involves beingone of the principal developers of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), a cognitive screening instrument used globally for the assessment of mild cognitive impairment. I am the Associate Scientific Director of the Canadian Consortium on Neurodegeneration in Aging (CCNA, http://ccna-ccnv.ca/en/), which is Canada’s national research consortium on dementia. I am currently the Chair of the Alzheimer Association ISTAART Sensory Health and Cognition Professional Interest Area.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself:
I am currently collecting fur from my Finnish Lapphund which I hope to spin into fibre one day.
Why did you choose to work in dementia:
I come from a large extended family and have always been interested in the lives of older people. At university, I became interested in understanding the brain and behaviour. These two broad interests have been woven together in my career as a dementia researcher.
What single piece of of advice would you give to an early career researcher?
Build a good network of trusted collaborators who support you and make you laugh.
What book are you reading right now? Would you recommend it?
“I Am a Cat” by Soseki Natsume, but I just started it so I can’t recommended it just yet! But, one of my favorite non-fiction books is “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot
Favourite film of all time?
It is impossible to pick just one but a few are: “Withnail and I”, “The Princess Bride”, “Cool Hand Luke”, and “The Lion in Winter”.
Favourite ways to unplug and unwind?
I walk my dog in the woods, I have wonderful friends and family who make me laugh, and I just started to learn how to weave. I love live music and I am a huge Radiohead fan. I’m waiting for them to tour again. I’m not opposed to drinking wine, either.
Alzheimer's Association
