The International Neuropsychological Society Awards Committee selected Dr Mario Parra Rodriguez as the 2020 recipient of the Arthur Benton Mid-Career Award for researchers 鈥渨ho have made a substantial independent contribution to research in the area of brain-behaviour relationships鈥� and achieved 鈥渞ecognition by their peers鈥�. He is delighted as a 吃瓜tvr to receive such recognition for research with impact.
Thanks to the support from the ALBAN scholarship program of the European Commission and to two consecutive Fellowships from , Dr Parra embarked on a research programme aimed at developing effective assessment methods that could help identify people at risk of dementia, such as that caused by Alzheimer鈥檚 disease. An early contribution was the identification of cognitive functions that are unaffected by normal ageing but are affected by Alzheimer鈥檚 diseases before it severely damages the brain and causes dementia. Psychological tests developed following this evidence proved useful to identify people at risk of developing this common cause of dementia years before the disease shows its first symptoms. This evidence improved our understanding of regions of the brain that change throughout ageing and those affected by dementing disorders. It also pointed to the earliest cognitive changes that can be detected with simple and affordable testing procedures, such as neuropsychological tests. These achievements were acknowledged by peers, particularly those caring for patients in low-middle-income countries. These novel methodologies have proved . These results have been highlighted as research and impact successes by international consensus and have been followed by global initiatives to fight dementia. Dr Parra and international collaborators have recently launched the which brings together colleagues from around the globe to share knowledge, bridge gaps, and help fight dementia globally. The 吃瓜tv has become a leading hub of this global network. The multi-cultural and interdisciplinary context hosted by our University has provided an ideal scenario to expand the network, embark on more ambitious projects, and increase the visibility of our research outputs.