Clara Stein

University College Dublin

Psychology

She/her/hers

Clara Stein is an Irish Research Council Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholar and PhD researcher in the School of Psychology at University College Dublin. She is also a member of the University College Dublin Neuropsychology Lab. Her research investigates the impact of cognitive reserve on cognitive functioning in people with multiple sclerosis (MS). This research is supervised by Prof Jessica Bramham and Dr Fiadhnait O’Keeffe, and conducted in collaboration with a university hospital. Clara’s PhD builds on her MSc Behavioural Neuroscience research, which was completed with the same supervisors and clinical collaborators, and investigated the role of pre-MS cognitive abilities in differences between self-reported cognitive difficulties and cognitive assessment in people with MS. Prior to moving to Ireland, Clara earned an undergraduate degree in Psychology from the University of Edinburgh. Here, she conducted research on the role of cognitive reserve and semantic knowledge in cognitive estimation abilities of older adults, under supervision of Dr Sarah E MacPherson. In addition to conducting research on brain and cognitive functioning, Clara enjoys communicating science to general audiences via articles, podcasts, blog posts, and social media. She also volunteers with two science outreach organisations, Letters to a Pre-Scientist and Skype a Scientist, to inspire students from diverse backgrounds to consider a future in STEM. Outside of research and science communication, Clara loves spending time outdoors, going on hikes, chatting with family and friends over a cup of tea, and doing yoga.

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