Long-term goals: 1. Obtain a tenure-track faculty position as an independent researcher in the field of cognitive psychology and neuroscience. 2. Acquire training and education to hone skills as an independent researcher investigating genetic and environmental influences on age-related change in cognitive function and neuroanatomical structures in elderly populations.
Specific aims : 1. To examine the influences of genetic and environmental factors in specific cognitive functions in midlife. 2. To train in the collection and analysis of neuroanatomical imaging data. Specifically, examine the genetic and environmental determinants of individual differences in neuroanatomy during mid-life and the extent to which some structures share common genetic and environmental determinants. 3. To assess the relationships between various brain structures, general cognitive function, and health related/medical outcomes.