Biography

Sharna is a cognitive neuroscientist, and so she is interested in what makes people 'tick'. She is particularly interested in how people are able to be resilient to the ageing process. Why is it that some people continue into very old age, showing little sign of decline; whereas others decline quickly and early, soon unable to perform the activities of daily life? Sharna uses a number of neuroscience techniques to understand the human brain, including MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), PET (positron emission tomography), and other techniques. Sharna has received numerous awards for the quality of her work, including the Distinguished Early Career Contribution to Psychophysiology (US Society for Psychophysiological Research, 2016), and awards from the US Society for Neuroscience and American College of Neuropsychopharmacology. Since 2014 she has been successful in securing over $4.6mill in competitive research funding. She is a passionate advocate for diversity in STEM, and is co-founder of the Australasian Women in Neuroscience Network. In recognition of her outreach and advocacy work, in 2019 she was accepted into the prestigious Superstars of STEM program.

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