Nárlon Cássio is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Physical Therapy at UBC. Under the supervision of Dr. Teresa Liu-Ambrose in the Aging, Mobility and Cognitive Health Lab, Nárlon’s research aims to understand the impact of preventive or protective factors on age- and pathology-related declines in brain health.
Nárlon Cássio
What research projects are you involved in?
I am working on several projects now, but one of my main interests is to understand how exercise can benefit white matter health in older individuals at risk for dementia. That is, I am using myelin water imaging to assess the impact of exercise on white matter myelin in people living with white matter pathology.
What is your educational background?
My MSc and PhD programs heavily emphasized designing exercise interventions for older individuals. I have experience in designing and conducting randomized controlled trials in high-risk older individuals and assessing cognition, mobility, and cardiovascular health outcomes in this population.
What do you like most about working at UBC?
UBC is an international hub for MRI research and Dr. Teresa Liu-Ambrose is one of my favourite scientists in the world. Coming to UBC to work with her in a very supportive and rich environment has been transformative for my career.
What are your future career goals?
I want to do meaningful research on dementia prevention and treatment of cognitive impairment. I also want to establish a research training program which can aid in the development of aspiring researchers in Northeastern Brazil.
What do you like to do outside of research?
I have recently become a father. So, spending time with my daughter has become my favourite thing to do! But I also love cooking for my wife, reading and writing poetry, working out, and spending time with my dogs.
What advice do you have for students interested in graduate school?
When things get though, be brave and honest enough to seek help from others—your bravery will be respected and your honesty will be disarming.
What is your favourite quote?
“However bad life may seem, there is always something you can do and succeed at. Where there’s life, there’s hope.” Stephen Hawking
Nárlon with fellow Postdoc in Dr. Liu-Ambrose’s lab, Lisanne
