Jun 9, 2026
Visiting researcher discusses neurodegeneration and brain health across life spans
Roundtables and presentations foster stronger international collaboration
Fofi Constantinidou, Ph.D., CCC-SLP, CBIS, the director of the Center for Applied Neuroscience (CAN) and a professor of language disorders and clinical neuropsychology in the Department of Psychology at the University of Cyprus, recently visited Virginia Commonwealth University’s College of Health Professions to present research and hold strategic discussions with faculty and staff.
Constantinidou, who is also president of the American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine, had planned to be in the United States through early June and was connected to VCU through a colleague. The day’s presentations and roundtables by Constantinidou and other CHP staff provided an exchange of ideas and research, as well as stronger international cooperation among colleagues.
“We are grateful for the partnership with Dr. Constantinidou and the opportunities for future collaborations that will amplify the excellent work of faculty and staff researchers from both our wonderful institutions,” said Amy R. Darragh, Ph.D., dean of the VCU College of Health Professions. “Through innovative research and shared discovery, we strengthen our ability to impact lives far beyond our own communities.”
Constantinidou’s work on aging and brain health
Constantinidou began by delivering a keynote speech titled "From Brain Injury to Brain Health: Translating Neurorehabilitation Across the Lifespan."
“I wanted to show some of the research contributions that a longitudinal study on aging, conducted in a small island country like Cyprus, has to offer in terms of advancing our knowledge and understanding of factors that affect the healthy aging process,” Constantinidou said. “Primarily, I'm interested in cognitive abilities like memory and language, executive functioning and problem-solving skills, but then also psychosocial abilities, such as mood and quality of life and functioning.”
She presented some of her team’s findings, including modifiable and unmodifiable factors that can affect cognitive and brain health. Other data included investigating whether healthy older adults and those at risk of cognitive decline can benefit from different cognitive therapy methods.
“One method is the categorization program, delivered through the CAT-BRAIN software platform. The methodology was developed originally for patients with traumatic brain injury and other acquired brain conditions, but also, we have tested it with healthy older adults and adults who…have what we call mild cognitive impairment- they don't have dementia, but they are not totally cognitively healthy,” she said. “We found that it not only improves their cognitive performance, but they also maintain those gains over a period of several weeks and months.”
CHP presenters
Researchers from the Department of Gerontology and the Virginia Center on Aging also provided an overview of their research and initiatives, as well as their efforts to support elder justice in the state through Virginia HEAR, or Helping Elders Access Resources.
“A robust discussion with Dr. Fofi Constantinidou and CHP colleagues highlighted the powerful lesson that the brain remains remarkably adaptable throughout the lifespan. Even from a neurorehabilitation perspective, aging is not a story of decline, but rather one of resilience, growth and continued potential,” said Tracey Gendron, Ph.D., chair and professor in the Department of Gerontology and executive director of the Virginia Center on Aging “It was inspiring to exchange knowledge and ideas with Dr. Constantinidou and our CHP community of scholars and to explore how collaboration can advance brain health and healthy aging across the lifespan. We are so excited to continue to explore opportunities to work with Dr. Constantinadou and the Center for Applied Neuroscience at the University of Cyprus.”
In addition, multiple CHP faculty members shared their work on other aging-focused research projects across the college and health sciences. These included:
- Neurodegeneration Convergence, Faika Zanjani, Ph.D., associate dean of research.
- Sensor Technology to Assess Walking and Mobility in Adults with Chronic Conditions by Associate Professor, Alicia Flach, PT, DPT, EdD.
- A novel method of quantifying lateralized motor features in Parkinson’s Disease, Assistant Professor Brooke Dexheimer, PhD, OTD, OTR/L.
- Leveraging mechanistic insight to optimize mobility for people with Parkinson's disease, Assistant Professor, Chelsea "CJ" Duppen, PT, DPT, PhD.
- Gaze behaviors in post-stroke spatial neglect, Assistant Professor Timothy J. Rich, PhD, OTR/L.
- Progression from VCU ARRT Predoctoral Fellow to Disseminating Outcomes and Creating Interventions Following TBI, Associate Professor Kelli G. Talley, PH.D. MPH. OTR/L, CBIS.
- Thinking About Every Step: Measuring Prosthetic Attention by Benjamin Darter, chair and program director of the Department of Physical Therapy
- Addressing Ageism in Radiation Sciences: A Collaborative Project, Timmerie Cohen, PhD, RT(R)(T), CMD, a Clinical Coordinator - Radiation Therapy
“There were several projects that were in alignment with the types of questions we pose in our studies in Cyprus,” said Constantinidou.
“It was a wonderful day. I had the chance to present work I believe was relevant to my colleagues' activities at VCU,” said Constantinidou. “What was very interesting was that the project coordinators also presented their projects, and this provided me with a really nice overview of the richness of the work that is done by faculty and researchers at VCU College of Health Professions.”
Constantinidou says that cross-country and international collaborations are critical and that there is much to learn from research groups in different countries.
“It's mutually beneficial because it enlarges our horizon and our perspective on the way we understand factors affecting the aging process,” she said. “So that's part of why it's attractive to those of us who do this type of work.”