Anna Marseglia

I am an Assistant Professor of aging epidemiology and brain health in the Division of Clinical Geriatrics at the Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS) at Karolinska Institutet. I have a background in neuropsychology and hold a PhD in aging epidemiology from the Aging Research Center (NVS, KI). Following my PhD, I joined the Westman neuroimaging group in the Division of Clinical Geriatrics for my postdoctoral training and developed an international research profile through national and global collaborations. As part of this, I completed a research exchange at Mayo Clinic Rochester, Minnesota (USA), where I hold a Research Collaborator position. I am also affiliated with the Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg. I am currectly Vice-Chair of the International Society of Vascular Behavioural and Cognitive Disorders (VasCog) and, since January 2026, I have served as Deputy Section Editor for Epidemiology at Alzheimer’s & Dementia, a leading journal in the field of Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias as well as brain health.

I welcome inquiries from master's/PhD students and postdocs interested in research internships, exchanges, or thesis projects.

Since my appointment as Assistant Professor in 2024, I secured competitive starting and project grants from the Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet, VR), the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare (FORTE), the Strategic Research Area in Epidemiology and Biostatistics (SFOepi), the Center for Innovative Medicine (CIMED), Alzheimerfonden, and Demensfonden.  

I now lead an independent research line focuses on understanding vascular contributions to cognitive disorders, particularly linked to cerebral small vessel disease, as well as mechanisms of cognitive resilience. I use multidimensional data from large population‑ and clinical‑based cohorts such as the Gothenburg H70–85 Birth Cohort Studies, the UK Biobank, the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, and the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center cohorts. By integrating clinical, epidemiological, neuroimaging, molecular, and cognitive perspectives, my work aims to clarify mechanisms underlying vulnerability and resilience in cognitive disorders.

1) Mechanisms of Vascular Cognitive Impairment and Dementia (VCID)
My team investigates how vascular risk factors and cerebrovascular pathology affect cognitive and brain health. We focus on identifying neuroimaging and molecular biomarkers—particularly those related to inflammation and metabolic dysregulation—that contribute to small vessel disease and shape clinical transitions across the VCID spectrum, including interactions with Alzheimer’s disease co‑pathology.

2) Determinants of cognitive resilience mechanisms in aging
We study how life‑course exposures (e.g., education, lifestyle factors, social health) influence cognitive trajectories and the biological systems that support resilience. Using biological measures of cognitive resilience derived from AI‑based neuroimaging metrics such as the Brain Age Gap (a type of "brain clock"), we examine how lifestyle, cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative processes, and inflammatory pathways contribute to preserved cognitive function in aging.

3) Sex-related differences in VCID and resilience
We explore biological and sociocultural mechanisms driving sex differences in vulnerability and resilience, including hormonal factors, social determinants, and compensatory pathways. These projects aim to improve understanding of sex‑specific risks and protective mechanisms in VCID.

Across all research lines, I collaborate closely with national and international partners in brain health research—including colleagues within the VasCog community. These collaborations support cross‑cohort analyses, methodological innovation, and the translation of findings to improve early detection, prevention, and characterization of (vascular) cognitive disorders.

I teach regularly at both undergraduate and graduate levels in neuroscience, occupational therapy, medicine, and epidemiology at Karolinska Institutet and collaborating institutions. My teaching covers cognitive aging, neuroanatomy, cognitive diagnostics, and epidemiological and statistical methods, integrating biological, clinical, and methodological perspectives across geriatric medicine, public health, and neuroscience.
I am the coordinator of the KI doctoral course “Cognitive Aging, Neuropsychology and Cognitive Diagnostics” and contribute actively to educational activities within NVS and the Center for Alzheimer Research (CAR; national hub for reserachers in Alzheimer's and other related dementias), where I coordinate the morning coffee seminars and organize scientific workshops featuring international speakers, often in collaboration with StratNeuro, SFOepi, and the KI South Distinguished Lecture Group. I regularly participate in doctoral supervision and leadership training at KI and within the Stockholm Trio to continuously develop my pedagogical skills and sustainable academic leadership.

I supervise master’s and PhD students as well as guest researchers from diverse backgrounds, mentor early‑career researchers, and serve as examiner for master’s and PhD theses at KI and internationally. I also support academic development as a reviewer for international funding bodies, conferences, and scientific journals, contributing to high‑quality research training and evaluation in the field.

Supervision to doctoral degree

• Emma Nimco Wiechmann
• Ernest Privsek