Amy Overman, assistant professor of psychology, and Ruth Robbins’ 12 presented Lumen Prize research at the 23rd Annual Southeastern Student Mentoring Conference in Gerontology and Geriatrics.
The research, “A Model Cognitive Training Intervention for Minority and Low SES Older Adults” advances the scientific understanding of brain training in a population that is historically underreached for health information and the project provides a model for community organizations to implement. The research received an honorable mention for best poster and it will be published in a peer-reviewed monograph of the conference proceedings. The project is part of Overman’s ongoing research into neuroplasticity, or the brain’s ability to change itself. Overman’s prior work in this area also includes computer-based cognitive training for rehabilitation after cerebral malaria.
The Southeastern Regional Student Mentoring Conference in Gerontology & Geriatrics is a unique conference focused on mentoring students who are interested in gerontology and geriatrics. It is designed to “provide students with practical experiences associated with academic and applied gerontology.” It is sponsored by the University of Georgia with co-sponsorship by various universities and gerontology and aging research centers such as Georgia State University’s Gerontology Institute, University of Alabama’s Center for Mental Health & Aging, University of Kentucky’s Graduate Center for Gerontology, and University of South Florida’s School of Aging Studies.