Professor Katrien Segaert

Supervisor Details

Contact Details

School of Psychology, University of Birmingham

Scientific Background

Research Interests

My research examines how the ageing brain supports cognition, and how modifiable lifestyle factors — particularly physical exercise — can protect against age-related cognitive decline. I combine behavioural and cognitive neuroscience methods with brain imaging to characterise patterns of cognitive decline across different domains, and to uncover the neural and vascular mechanisms through which exercise preserves brain health in later life. As joint lead of a large BBSRC-funded programme investigating the interplay between exercise, cerebrovascular health and cognition in older adults, I work closely with colleagues in exercise physiology and MRI physics on the cognitive assessment strand of this multidisciplinary team. More broadly, I am interested in how modifiable lifestyle factors — including exercise, but also language training, sleep, diet etc — interact with brain health to shape cognitive ageing trajectories, and in translating this mechanistic understanding into interventions that help older adults maintain independence and quality of life. I have a track record of leading interdisciplinary, collaborative research teams and of mentoring early-career researchers within an inclusive, diverse research environment.

Research Groups

Neuroscience of Language Lab

Supervision Style

In three words or phrases: student-centred, organised and collaborative.

Provision of Training

You will be embedded within a wider research team, with hands-on support and training from the outset, and increasing independence as the project progresses.

Progression Monitoring and Management

I will set out my expectations of your progression on a weekly basis. If these progression criteria are not met we will always discuss a plan of action together. Being embedded in my research group will push you to your full potential.

Communication

I am happy to discuss any issues that are impacting your ability to achieve your goals.

Meetings

PhD Students can expect scheduled meetings with me at least once per fortnight. These meetings will be a mixture of face-to-face and via video chat or telephone. I am usually contactable for an instant response on every working day.

Work Patterns

Certain tasks in my lab need to occur at set times, and students need to be able to commit to a rota/timetable shared with other members of the team.

Notice Period for Feedback

I need at least 1 week's notice to provide feedback on written work of up to 5,000 words.

MIBTP Project Details

Primary supervisor for:

Sleep, Circadian Rhythm, and Brain Vascular Health in Ageing

See the PhD Opportunities section to see if this project is currently open for applications via MIBTP.

Please Note: The main page lists projects via BBSRC Research Theme(s) quoted and then relevant Topic(s).

Sleep, Circadian Rhythm, and Brain Vascular Health in Ageing

Secondary Supervisor(s): Prof Clare Anderson

University of Registration: University of Birmingham

BBSRC Research Themes:

Integrated Understanding of Health (Ageing)

Project Outline

As people age, brain health becomes increasingly important for maintaining independence. Two factors known to affect brain health, but often overlooked in ageing research, are sleep quality and circadian rhythm, our internal daily cycle of activity and rest. Both decline with age and are linked to poorer brain vascular and weaker memory, yet they are rarely studied together with exercise, a powerful and modifiable way to support brain health in later life.

This PhD project will be embedded within a larger, already funded study investigating how exercise improves brain health and cognition in older adults. That study involves detailed brain scanning, fitness testing, and cognitive assessment, but does not currently measure sleep or circadian rhythms. Adding this component allows the PhD student to answer new questions using a well characterised group of older adults, while benefiting from being embedded within a wider research team running the exercise intervention study, making this a highly novel yet feasible PhD project.

Objectives:

1. Examine how sleep quality and circadian rhythms relate to fitness, brain blood flow, and memory or cognitive skills in older adults.

2. Test whether a year-long structured exercise programme improves sleep and its alignment with the circadian system.

3. Determine whether improvements in sleep and circadian rhythms help explain the brain and cognitive benefits of exercise, and why some individuals respond better than others.

4. Explore whether sleep and circadian rhythms relate to blood markers of brain plasticity already being measured in the wider study.

Methods:

A sleep-sensitive memory task will be added to the cognitive battery. Sleep and activity will be tracked via wrist monitor, questionnaire, and light data to estimate circadian rhythm. Analyses will examine how sleep relates to fitness, brain health, and cognition, both cross-sectionally and across the year-long exercise programme.

From brain to plate: exercise, hippocampal health, and appetite in older adults

See the PhD Opportunities section to see if this project is currently open for applications via MIBTP.

Please Note: The main page lists projects via BBSRC Research Theme(s) quoted and then relevant Topic(s).

From brain to plate: exercise, hippocampal health, and appetite in older adults

Secondary Supervisor(s): Prof Suzanne Higgs

University of Registration: University of Birmingham

BBSRC Research Themes:

Integrated Understanding of Health (Ageing, Diet and Health)

Project Outline

Ageing is associated with declines in appetite regulation, food-related decision-making, and episodic memory, yet the shared brain mechanisms underlying these changes are poorly understood. Interoceptive judgements of hunger depend partly on memory for recent eating episodes; hippocampal damage impairs this, causing inaccurate satiety perception. This project tests whether exercise-induced improvements in hippocampal structure and vascular health improve episodic memory, which in turn supports more accurate interoceptive appetite regulation and healthier food-related decision-making in older adults.

This studentship is embedded within an existing UKRI funded project investigating how exercise improves brain vascular health and cognition in older adults via a year-long intervention in a large cohort, including MRI, fitness testing, and cognitive assessment. The existing project does not yet capture appetite or diet. Adding this component provides a unique opportunity to join an established team, reducing risk while opening a novel line of enquiry.

Aims and objectives: (1) determine whether exercise-induced improvements in hippocampal structure and vascular health are associated with improved episodic memory; (2) test whether this relates to more accurate interoceptive hunger/satiety perception and food-related decision-making; (3) track whether an exercise intervention impacts on real-world dietary intake.

The student will: administer a validated interoception questionnaire and episodic memory task; conduct a test-meal paradigm pre/post-intervention, measuring intake, satiety ratings, and blood-based gut hormones (GLP-1, ghrelin, CCK); collect a quarterly week-long food diary; and perform hippocampal volumetric and vascular analysis of existing MRI data.

Together, these measures test a novel mechanistic pathway linking exercise, hippocampal-vascular health, memory, and appetite regulation, with relevance for healthy ageing and diet.