Exercise, Cognition and Healthy Ageing

Applications accepted until position filled.

The School of Health and Behavioural Sciences has a scholarship available to enrol an outstanding PhD student at the University of the Sunshine Coast in the field of healthy ageing.

The Project
Emerging evidence suggests that regions of the brain involved in learning and memory can respond to lifestyle modifications such as regular exercise even in older age, however the best type of exercise for brain health during ageing is yet to be determined. Importantly, understanding the biological basis for how physical exercise impacts the brain will be key in optimising exercise prescription for the prevention of cognitive decline. Our developing understanding of endocrine cross-talk between skeletal muscle and the brain leads us to consider the potential utility of progressive resistance training for maintaining brain health during ageing. This project will utilise novel blood-based, body composition and cognitive biomarkers to understand the role of muscle mass in maintaining brain health during ageing.

The Position
In examining the role of muscle mass in maintaining brain health during ageing, several physiological measures will be monitored over a period of 12 months, including body composition, blood biomarkers, muscle strength and cognitive performance. The successful applicant will be involved in participant recruitment, testing and training of older individuals in a clinical exercise intervention and will have the opportunity to develop a wide research skill set in exercise physiology, exercise biochemistry and applied neuroscience.

For more information contact Dr Mia Schaumberg - [email protected] .