Dr. Indira Turney is an associate research scientist at the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer’s Disease and the Aging Brain in the Department of Neurology at Columbia University Medical Center. She earned her Ph.D. in cognitive neuroscience from Pennsylvania State University, investigating cognitive processing that led to false memory errors and examining how to ameliorate age-related differences in memory. Her current research uses multiple neuroimaging modalities to identify lifecourse sociocultural and structural mechanisms that underlie brain aging in racially/ethnically diverse adults in midlife and older ages. Her goal is to understand how racism becomes embedded in the body and brain and, as a result, affects health. She hopes to improve the detection and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias and develop prevention programs to target malleable environmental, socio-cultural, and biological mechanisms of change in at-risk populations. Her research has been funded through several grants, including the National Institute of Health, the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and the National Science Foundation. Most recently, she received an NIH K99 Pathways to Independence award to investigate the relationship between social determinants of health and brain aging in midlife and whether biological aging mediates these associations. She is passionate about demystifying and diversifying STEM and building spaces for scholars from historically excluded backgrounds to thrive, which is why she co-founded the Women of Color Writing Accountability Group. Overall, she dedicates her career to enhancing the participation of underrepresented minorities in the biomedical sciences through culturally appropriate support and mentoring. Outside the lab, she enjoys powerlifting, traveling, crocheting, and still TRYING to play the guitar. Connect with Dr. Turney on Twitter & Instagram @indiraturney