Frini Karayanidis

Biography

Successful adaptation in our complex and unpredictable world depends on our ability to adapt to change by flexibly adjusting our behaviour. Cognitive flexibility, self-control and the brain networks that support them vary across the life course, peaking in late 20s and declining in old age. They also vary across different people within the same life stage. These mechanisms are critical for the development of adaptive behaviours specific to different stages of life. For instance, self-control in childhood is predictive of physical and mental health in middle age, and poor lifestyle choices in middle age are predictive of risk of cognitive decline in old age. My research group targets variability in cognitive flexibility and self-control across the life course. We examine how these processes are linked to variability in brain network maturation, and how this relationship influences adaptive behaviours in the real world. We seek to identify age-specific factors that mediate successful adaptation and strategies to promote positive outcomes at different stages of life. Our aim is to identify age-appropriate neurocognitive markers of risk for poor outcomes (e.g., susceptibility to high-risk behaviours, emergence of early brain/cognitive decline associated with cardiovascular risk factors) and develop personalised, targeted intervention programs to improve cognitive flexibility and promote positive outcomes across the life course. I head a vibrant research program (www.age-ility.org.au) that includes collaboration with senior researchers and clinicians at the University of Newcastle well as other national and international institutions. This work is supported by and contributes to the training of many high-calibre PhD and Honours students. The work is conducted within the Functional Neuroimaging Laboratory in the School of Psychology and the Imaging Centre at Hunter Medical Research Institute.

Research Interest

Biological Psychology, Developmental Psychology and Ageing, Cognitive Sciences