Director: Scott M. Hayes, Ph.D.
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Dr. Hayes graduated from Skidmore College (Biology, Psychology) and completed his doctoral work in Clinical Psychology (Neuropsychology) at the University of Arizona. He completed an NRSA-funded cognitive neuroscience-clinical neuropsychology postdoctoral fellowship in the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience at Duke University and the Bryan Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center at Duke University Medical Center. As a Department of Veterans Affairs Career Development Awardee, Dr. Hayes worked at the Boston University Memory Disorders Research Center and served as the Associate Director for the Neuroimaging Research for Veterans Center at VA Boston Healthcare System. A licensed psychologist, Dr. Hayes clinical interests include neuropsychological assessment of age-related neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, microvascular disease, and frontotemporal dementia, as well as medial temporal lobe amnesia. Outside of the lab, he enjoys spending time with his family, playing basketball, competing in Spartan races, and watching the Buckeyes! email: hayes.1074@osu.edu twitter: @scotthayesphd
Graduate Students
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Jessica Stark is a clinical psychology graduate student. Her research interests are focused on early identification of cognitive decline and interventions to promote healthy aging. Jessica’s goal is to promote individualized treatments to prevent or ameliorate cognitive dysfunction, and to educate our aging population through community outreach. In her free time, Jessica enjoys spending time with friends and family, running, and exploring new cities.
Matthew Stauder is a graduate student in Clinical Psychology. He graduated in the Ohio State University Class of 2018 with a B.S. in Behavioral Neuroscience. After graduation, Matthew coordinated clinical trials in the Neurological Clinical Research Institute at Massachusetts General Hospital. His research interests involve advancing our understanding and promotion of brain health – physical, cognitive, and emotional functioning – throughout the adult lifespan. In his spare time, Matthew enjoys all sorts of exercise and sports, reading about history and current events, and listening to comedy podcasts.
Annie Lee is a Clinical Psychology graduate student. She graduated from Washington University in St. Louis in 2019 with a B.A. in Philosophy-Neuroscience-Psychology, and a concentration in Cognitive Neuroscience. Following graduation, she worked at the Washington University School of Medicine, running MRI scans, and working with diffusion and EEG data. Her research interests include early detection and prevention of cognitive aging. In her free time, she enjoys finding new restaurants and cafes, traveling, and spending time with friends and family.
Research Assistants
Abigail Bowsher joined the Buckeye Brain Aging Lab in June 2022. She graduated from the University of Cincinnati in 2022 with a B.A. in Psychology and a Certificate in Forensic Populations. Her research interests include age-related cognitive decline, the early detection and prevention of Alzheimer’s disease & mild cognitive impairment, and the implementation of practices to promote healthy aging. In her free time, she enjoys reading, watching movies, and exploring new places with family and friends.
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Undergraduate Students
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Michael Melville joined the B-BAL in the spring of 2021. He is a junior undergraduate student studying biochemistry at The Ohio State University and plans to attend medical school after graduation. Michael is interested in understanding the complex relationship between factors such as physical activity, exercise, BMI, cerebral spinal fluid biomarkers, and many more variables that may predict variance in cognitive and functional decline in older adults. He hopes to better understand this variance to facilitate timely intervention in clinical settings as well as raise awareness of certain modifiable factors that may result in better outcomes with cognitive and functional abilities. Outside of the lab, he enjoys working out, playing Euchre, reading books, mentoring, and going to coffee shops.
Shana de Wet joined the B-BAL in the spring of 2021. She is a junior undergraduate student studying neuroscience at The Ohio State University and plans to pursue law school after graduation. Shana is interested in investigating the effects of exercise and diet on neurological health, particularly how these factors influence cognitive function and memory. She hopes to gain a better understanding of these relationships in addition to helping advocate for healthy practices that will improve cognitive ability and quality of life. In her free time, Shana enjoys spending time with friends and family, swimming, watching movies, and traveling.
Alexa Shin joined the B-BAL in the summer of 2021. She is a senior undergraduate studying Biochemistry and Neuroscience at the Ohio State University and plans to attend medical school after graduation. Her research interests include neurodegenerative diseases and cognitive decline in adults. In her free time, Alexa enjoys listening to music, playing piano, running, spending time with friends and family, and visiting art galleries.
Collin Todd joined the B-BAL in the spring of 2021. He is a senior undergraduate student studying neuroscience at The Ohio State University with plans to attend medical school after graduation. Collin is interested in exploring the relationship between an array of fitness markers and cognition in older adults. Specifically, he aims to apply his knowledge of cognitive decline to help form a precision medicine model, in which cognition, fitness, and neuroimaging factors are considered when tailoring treatment for individuals. In his free time, Collin enjoys playing Spikeball with his friends, learning about the history of his hometown, and shooting baskets with his brothers.
Collaborators
Jasmeet Hayes, The MINDSET Lab at The Ohio State University
Jeff Volek, The Volek Low Carb Lab at The Ohio State University
William Kraemer, Neuroscience/Neuromuscular Lab at The Ohio State University
Dan Merfeld, Department of Otolaryngology at The Ohio State University
Jimmy Onate, MOvES Lab at The Ohio State University
Lab Alumni
Research Assistants
Kelly Hiersche (Summer 2019 – Fall 2021)
- Attending graduate school in Ohio State’s Cognitive Neuroscience program
Alex Hasselbach (Summer 2019 – Spring 2022)
- Attending medical school at the University of Toledo
Undergraduates
Alexis Berry: Spring 2020 – Fall 2020
Nicole Tacsar: Fall 2019 – Spring 2020
Laney Saggar: Spring 2019 – Spring 2021
Jess Horvat: Fall 2018 – Summer 2019
Sam Kalmar: Fall 2018 – Spring 2019