SHARON SANZ SIMON, PHD

Mental Health, Aging & Neuroscience

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WELCOME

About Me

I am an Associate Research Scientist at Columbia University Irving Medical Center

(at the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain and the Department of Neurology at at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons).

I trained in Clinical Psychology and Neuropsychology at the University of São Paulo before joining Columbia University as Postdoctoral Fellow in the Laboratory of Prof. Yaakov Stern, where I investigate reserve & resilience factors to promote healthy cognitive aging and dementia prevention.

My research has been focused on non-pharmacological interventions to promote brain/mental health, enhance cognition, health behaviors and quality of life in older adults, including those at risk of Alzheimer`s disease and Related Dementia (ADRD). As I have conducted clinical trials in Brazil and in the US, I have particular interest in sociocultural and environmental factors that influence health behaviors and interventions, as well as disparities/inequities in mental health, aging, and dementia.

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EDUCATION

What and Where I've been learning

POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP - COGNITIVE NEUROSCIENCE DIVISION, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IRVING MEDICAL CENTER- NEW YORK
(USA)

September 2018 - 2022

RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP IN NEUROPSYCHIATRY - HARVARD UNIVERSITY/BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL - BOSTON
(USA)

July 2015 - June 2016

PHD IN SCIENCES/PSYCHIATRY - UNIVERSITY OF SÃO PAULO (BRAZIL)

December 2012 - June 2017

BACHELOR IN PSYCHOLOGY - PONTIFICAL CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF SÃO PAULO (BRAZIL)

January 2003 - December 2009

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GRANTS & SCHOLARSHIPS

September 2022-September 2024

GRANT: K99/R00 PATHWAY TO INDEPENDENCE AWARD

NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AGING (NIH)

Title: Web-based technology and cognitive training: improving executive control in cognitively healthy older adults

Active Recruiting Participants on:

https://recruit.cumc.columbia.edu/studyinfopage/2551

ROLE: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

January 2024-January 2027

GRANT: ALZHEIMER'S ASSOCIATION RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP TO PROMOTE DIVERSITY (AARF-D)

ALZHEIMER & ASSOCIATION

Title: Alzheimer’s risk factors and acculturation in Brazilian Immigrants

Recruitment active on 2024

ROLE: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

August 2013 - March 2016

GRANT: REGULAR RESEARCH GRANT

SÃO PAULO RESEARCH FOUNDATION (FAPESP) - BRAZIL

Title: Episodic memory training for face and name association in patients with amnestic mild cognitive impairment: cognitive measures and functional resonance magnetic imaging outcomes.

(protocol 2012/51699-1).

Concluded

ROLE: CO-INVESTIGATOR

July 2015 - July 2016

SCHOLARSHIP: SCIENCE WITHOUT BORDERS PROGRAM (CAPES)

Scholarship to support Brazilian PhD candidates abroad
Brazilian Federal Government
Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel-Brazil (CAPES)

September 2015

SCHOLARSHIP: LEMANN FOUNDATION

Scholarship to support Brazilian PhD candidates in the U.S.

2013-2015

SCHOLARSHIP: BRAZILIAN FEDERAL GOVERNMENT (CAPES)

Scholarship to support PhD candidates in Brazil
Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel-Brazil (CAPES)

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AWARDS & HONORS

October 2022

IMPACT-AD

Institute on Methods and Protocols for Advancement of Clinical Trials in Alzheimer Disease and Related Dementia
(Training Program)

July 2021

BUTLER-WILLIAM SCHOLARS PROGRAM

National Institute of Aging (NIH) (Training Program)

November 2020

GERONTOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA WORKSHOP AWARD

Gerontological Society of America: Mentoring and Career Development Technical Assistance Workshop Award

July 2019

NELSON BUTTERS AWARD (INS)

Best Research Presented by a Postdoctoral Fellow

International Society of

Neuropsychology - INS

February 2017

LAIRD S. CERMAK AWARD (INS)

Best Abstract in the Field of Memory or Memory Disorders

International Society of

Neuropsychology - INS

February 2010

ANA MARIA POPPOVIC AWARD

Best Bachelor Thesis - Year of 2009

Faculty of Humanities and Health, Pontifical Catholic University of São Paulo, Brazil

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SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

What and where I've published

Google Citation

ORCID

Simon, S.S., Brucki, S.M.D., Fonseca, L.M., Becker, J. Cappi, C., Marques, A.H., Heyn, P., Gonçalves, 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. Link

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. Link

Paschalidis, M., Konstantyner T.C.R.O., Simon, S.S., Martins C.B. (2023). Trends in mortality from Alzheimer's disease in Brazil, 2000-2019. Epidemiol Serv Saude. 32(2)e2022886. Link

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. Link

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. Link

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. Biological Psychiatry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopsych.2021.02.001. Link

Sabates, J., Belleville, S., Castellani, M., Dwolatsky, T., Hampstead, B.M., Lampit, A., Simon, S.S., Anstey, K.J., Goodenough, B., Mancuso, S., Marques, D., Sinnott, R., Bahar-Fuchs A. (2021). CogTale: An Online Platform for the Evaluation, Synthesis and Dissemination of Evidence from Cognitive Interventions Studies. Systematic Reviews; 10:236. Link

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. Link

Simon, S.S., Hampstead, B.M., Nucci, M.P., Ferreira, L.K., Duran, F.L.S., Fonseca, L.M., Martin, M.G.M., Ávila, 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. Link

Simon, S.S., Varangis, E. Stern, Y. (2020). Associations between personality and whole-brain functional connectivity at rest: Evidence across the adult lifespan. Brain and Behavior. doi: 10.1002/brb3.1515. Link

Simon, S.S. ,Castellani, M., Belleville, S., Dwolatzky, T.Hampstead, B.M, Bahar-Fuchs, A. (2020). The Design, Evaluation and Reporting on Non-Pharmacological, Cognition-Oriented Treatments for Older Adults: Results of a Survey of Experts. Alzheimer & Dementia: TRCI. Link

Simon, S.S., Hampstead, B.M., Nucci, M.P., Duran, F.L.S., Fonseca, L.M., Martin, M.G.M., Ávila, 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. (2019). Training gains and transfer effects after mnemonic strategy training in mild cognitive impairment: A fMRI study. International Journal of Psychophysiology, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpsycho.2019.03.014. Link

Batista, A.X., Bazán, P.R., Conforto, A.B., Martin, M.D.G.M., Simon, S.S., Hampstead, B., Figueiredo, E.G., Miotto, E.C. (2019). Effects of Mnemonic Strategy Training on Brain Activity and Cognitive Functioning of Left-Hemisphere Ischemic Stroke Patients. Neural Plasticity. doi: 10.1155/2019/4172569. Link

Batista, A.X., Bazan, P.R., Conforto, A.B., Martins, M.G.M., Hoshino, M., Simon, S.S., Hampstead, B., Figueiredo, E.G., Castro, M.P., Michelan, D., Amaro Jr., E., Miotto, E.C. (2018). Resting state functional connectivity and neural correlates of face-name encoding in patients with ischemic vascular lesions with and without the involvement of the left inferior frontal gyrus. Cortex, 113: 15-28. doi: 10.1016/j.cortex.2018.11.016. Link

Simon, S.S., Hampstead, B.M., Nucci, M.P., Duran, F.L.S., Fonseca, L.M., Martin, M.G.M., Ávila, 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. Link

Simon, S.S., Tusch, E.S., Fend, N.C., Hakansson, K.; Mohammed, A.H.; Daffner, K.R. (2018). Is Computerized Working Memory Training Effective in Healthy Older Adults? Evidence from a Multi-Site, Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Alzheimer Disease, 10:380; doi: 10.3233/JAD-180455. Link

Fonseca, L.M., Haddad, G.G., Mattar, G.P., Oliveira, M.C, Simon, S.S., Guilhoto, L.M. Busatto, G.F., Zaman, S., Holland, A.J., Hoexter, M.Q., Bottino, C.M.C. (2018). The validity and reliability of the CAMDEX-DS for assessing dementia in adults with Down syndrome in Brazil. Brazilian Journal of Psychiatry, doi:10.1590/1516-4446-2018-0033. Link

Miotto, E.C., Batista, A.X., Simon, S.S., Hampstead, B.M. (2018). Neurophisiologic and Cognitive Changes Arising from Cognitive Training Interventions in Persons with Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Systemtic Review. Neural Plasticity, doi: 10.1155/2018/7301530. Link

Simon, S.S., Tusch, E.S., Holcomb, P.J., Daffner, K.R. (2016). Increasing Working Memory Load Reduces Processing of Cross-Modal Task-Irrelevant Stimuli Even after Controlling for Task Difficulty and Executive Capacity. Frontiers of Human Neuroscience, 10:380; doi: 10.3389/fnhum.2016.00380. Link

Simon, S.S., Ávila, R.T., Vieria, G., Bottino, C.M.C. (2016). Psychometric properties of the Brazilian version of the Multifactorial Memory Questionnaire for elderly. Dementia Neuropsychologia, 10(2):113-126. Link

Simon, S.S., Cordás, 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. Link

Horie, N.C., Serrao, V.T., Simon, S.S., Gascon, M.R.; Dos Santos, A.X.; Zambone, M.A., Del Bigio de Freitas, M.M., Cunha-Neto, E., Marques, E.L.; Halpern, A., de Melo, M.E., Mancini, M.C., Cercato, C. (2015). Cognitive Effects of Intentional Weight Loss in Elderly Obese Individuals With Mild Cognitive Impairment. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 101(3):1104-12. doi: 10.1210/jc.2015-2315. Link

Yokomizo, J.E., Simon, S.S., Bottino, C.M.C. (2014). Cognitive screening for dementia in primary care: a systematic review. International Psychogeriatrics, 26 (11), 1783-1804. Link

Simon, S.S., Yokomizo, J.E., Bottino, C.M.C. (2012). Cognitive intervention in amnestic Mild Cognitive Impairment: A systematic review. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, 36(4): 1163-1178. Link

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CONTACT

sss2278@cumc.columbia.edu

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