Overview

Dr. Sharon Sanz Simon, PhD, is a neuropsychologist focused on aging and Alzheimer's research. She is an
assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School - Newark. She is
also a core member of the Herbert and Jacqueline Krieger Klein Alzheimer's Research Center, Brain Health
Institute, Rutgers University-New Brunswick.

Dr. Simon earned her Ph.D. from the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil and completed her postdoctoral training
at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. She is a recipient of the Research Fellowship in Neuropsychiatry
at Harvard Medical School (Brigham and Women's Hospital).

Dr. Simon's research is focused on brain health disparities, sociocultural determinants, and individual/lifestyle
characteristics that influence risk and resilience to cognitive aging and Alzheimer's disease and related
dementias (ADRD), particularly among diverse/Latinx populations. In addition, she investigates the effects and
mechanisms of non-pharmacological lifestyle interventions in aging. She has a particular interest in
integrating, technology, and digital biomarkers into cognitive training and physical exercise programs.

Currently, she is a member of the US Consortium of Aging, Dementia & Latino Studies and her research is
funded by the National Institute of Aging (NIH) and the Alzheimer's Association. She is the principal
investigator of the BRAINY-NJ Study (Brazilian Aging in New York-New Jersey Study), which aims to identify
risk and resilience factors for Alzheimer's disease/dementia among U.S.-Brazilian communities (Alzheimer's
Association). She is also the principal investigator of the MUST Study (MUltitasking STrategy Training Study), a
clinical trial aiming to investigate the effect of a web-based cognitive training program targeting multitasking
abilities in older adults (K99/R00 Award NIH).

By employing community-engaged research approaches, Dr. Simon partners with local communities to
empower them and enhance the representation of minoritized populations in aging and ADRD research. Her
ultimate goal is to inform health policy strategies and disseminate evidence-based, accessible, and culturally
sensitive interventions to promote healthy aging and dementia prevention.

Education

PHD, 2017, University of Sao Paulo

Languages

French
Portugese
Spanish

Relevant Publications

Simon, S.S.; Varangis, E.; Lee, S.; Gu, Y.; Gazes, Y.; Razlighi, Q.R.; Habeck, C.; Stern, Y. (2024). In vivo tau is associated with change in memory and processing speed, but not reasoning, in cognitively unimpaired older adults. Neurobiology of Aging, v.133, 28-38.

Simon, S.S., Brucki, S.M.D., Fonseca, L.M., Becker, J. Cappi, C., Marques, A.H., Heyn, P., Goncalves, P.D., Martins, S.S., Busatto, G., Bertola, L., Suemoto, C.K., Nitrini, R., Caramelli, P., Yassuda, M.S., Miotto, E.C., Grinberg, L.T., Arce Renteria, M., Alegria, M., Stern, Y., Rivera-Mindt, M. (2023). The (in)visible Brazilians: A perspective review on the need for brain health and dementia research with Brazilian immigrants in the United States. Alzheimer's & Dementia: TRCI. 9:e12425. doi:10.1002/trc2.12425.

Simon, S.S., Ben-Eliezer, D. Pondikos, M. Stern, Y. Gopher, D. (2023). Feasibility and acceptability on a new web-based cognitive training platform for cognitively healthy older adults: the breakfast task. Pilot and Feasibility Studies. 9:136.

Nicastri, C.M., Simon, S.S., McFeeley, B., Ledreux, A., Hakanbsson, K., Granholm, A., Mohammed, A.H., Daffner, K.R. (2022). BDNF mediates improvement in cognitive performance after computerized cognitive training. Alzheimer's & Dementia: TRCI. 30;8(1):e12337.

Simon, S.S., Lee, S., Gu, Y., Mensing, A., Noofoo, D., Nazario, G.H., Babukutty, R.S., Stern, Y. (2022). Leisure activity engagement across adulthood predicts cognitive change after 5 years: Does gender and age matter? Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society 29(6):529-540.

Simon, S.S. (2021). Good News for Dementia Prevention: Multiple Behavioral Features Are Associated With Markers of Brain Pathology in the Preclinical Phase of Sporadic and Autosomal Dominant Alzheimer's Disease. BiologicalPsychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.02.001.

Simon, S.S., Lee, S., Stern, Y. (2020). Personality'cognition associations across the adult life span and potential moderators: Results from two cohorts. Journal of Personality. https://doi.org/10.1111/jopy.12548.

Simon, S.S., Hampstead, B.M., Nucci, M.P., Ferreira, L.K., Duran, F.L.S., Fonseca, L.M., Martin, M.G.M., Avila, R., Porto, F.H.G., Brucki, S.M.D., Martins, C.B., Tascone, L.S., Amaro, Jr E., Busatto, G.F., Bottino, C.M.C. (2020). Mnemonic strategy training modulates functional connectivity at rest in mild cognitive impairment: results from a randomized controlled trial. Alzheimer & Dementia: TRCI. 6(1): e12075.

Simon, S.S., Hampstead, B.M., Nucci, M.P., Duran, F.L.S., Fonseca, L.M., Martin, M.G.M., Avila, R., Porto, F.H.G., Brucki, S.M.D., Martins, C.B., Tascone, L.S., Amaro, Jr E., Busatto, G.F., Bottino, C.M.C (2018). Cognitive and brain activity changes after mnemonic strategy training in amnestic mild cognitive impairment: evidence from a randomized controlled trial. Frontiers of Aging Neuroscience, doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2018.00342.

Simon, S.S., Cordas, T.A., Bottino, C.M.C. (2015). Cognitive Behavioral Therapies in older adults with depression and cognitive deficits: a systematic review. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry; 30(3): 223-33. doi: 10.1002/gps.4239.