Suzanne Tyas

Biography

Dr. Suzanne Tyas is an Associate Professor in the School of Public Health, University of Waterloo, University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, Canada.

Research Interest

Dr. Suzanne Tyas research aims to identify strategies to help preserve memory and other cognitive abilities, and thus increase the quality of life of older adults. To meet this goal, I study factors that put people at risk of cognitive disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease, as well as factors that build people’s resistance to cognitive decline (i.e., cognitive resilience). These factors span the life course, from birth (e.g., genes) and early life (e.g., grades in school, multilingualism) through to late life (e.g., stroke). Populations around the world are growing older. Thus, age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease, will become more common. We don’t yet have any way to cure Alzheimer’s disease, and so prevention is key. Strategies to build cognitive resilience have the potential to prevent Alzheimer’s disease and other causes of cognitive decline, and thus increase the chance of healthy aging for all.