Translating Science to Serve You

Dr. MacKay-Brandt is a licensed neuropsychologist with expertise in the measurement of cognitive functioning across the lifespan. Her interests in neuroscience and psychology began as an undergraduate at Brandeis University. Her undergraduate mentors introduced her to the collaborative work of basic and applied research focused on understanding how language is disrupted and recovers after stroke, all in the context of a system that is also aging.

She received her PhD from Washington University in St. Louis, where her research focused on attentional control - a core component of many complex processes, including language and memory. She completed advanced clinical and research training at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University and Columbia University Medical Center, specializing in risk and protective factors for cognitive health.

In addition to her private practice, Dr. MacKay-Brandt is a Research Scientist at the Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research where she collaborates with cognitive neuroscientists to provide data sharing resources to accelerate the pace of scientific discovery and to translate innovations for clinical and public health applications. Current work is focused on the role of the central autonomic nervous system for cognitive performance tuning. In her practice, she integrates gold-standard clinical assessment with pioneering research advancements to inform evidence-based strategies to optimize cognitive performance and navigate cognitive challenges.