Psychology professor awarded new Tier 1 Canada Research Chair

The Faculty of Arts is pleased to announce that Dr. M. Natasha Rajah has been awarded a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Sex, Gender and Diversity in Brain Health, Memory and Aging. Professor in the Department of Psychology, Dr. Rajah seeks to enhance the understanding of human health and her research will aid the creation of culturally inclusive care to support brain health and memory function through the aging process. 

As a Tier 1 Chair, Dr. Rajah has been acknowledged by her peers as an outstanding researcher and world-leader in her field. This is a significant recognition of Dr. Rajah’s work as it is not only critical for the future of healthcare, it also builds on TMU’s growing excellence in health research. This appointment will also enhance the scholarly, research and creative portfolio for the Faculty of Arts and create collaborative opportunities for colleagues and training opportunities for students.

Dr. Rajah will draw on multidisciplinary research methods to examine how sex, gender and social determinants of health interact with age and risk factors for Alzheimer's Disease and affect brain health and memory function in individuals from diverse backgrounds, across the adult lifespan. “I want to ensure we develop a more equitable understanding of brain and cognitive aging that reflects the diversity of Canada’s population,” Rajah shared. 

A key part of her research program will focus on brain health and memory function at midlife and menopause. Dr. Rajah has identified this group as an understudied cohort that needs to be better characterized in order to prevent and/or delay brain and cognitive decline with age. The ultimate goal is that this research will improve the precision of preventative care and prevent Alzheimer's Disease from those experiencing risk factors.

Learn more about the Canada Research Chair program (external link) 

Read about Toronto Metropolitan University’s Canada Research Chairs