Catherine Schneider, Ph.D. Trained Gerontologist
About Catherine Schneider PhD
Dr. Catherine Schneider is a PhD-trained gerontologist whose background includes research in cognitive aging, cognitive impairment, and dementia symptom management. Her work spans academic research and its practical application in senior living and memory care.
Research and Professional Background
At the University of Kentucky, Dr. Schneider studied non-pharmacological interventions for cognitive impairment. Her research at the Aging, Brain and Cognition Laboratory, housed within the College of Medicine, involved healthy middle-aged and older adults. She used neuropsychological testing and electroencephalography (EEG) imaging to investigate cognition and brain function.
She continued her research training as a postdoctoral fellow at New York University, studying dementia symptom management through a fellowship associated with the National Institutes of Health and National Institute on Aging.
Dr. Schneider’s professional experience also includes memory care operations and curriculum development at Atria Senior Living. This work connects her scientific background with the practical needs of senior living communities.
Research and Publications
Dr. Schneider authored Music Training as a Neuro-Cognitive Protector for Brain Aging: Cognitive and Neuropsychological Profiles in Professional Musicians, a doctoral dissertation published through the University of Kentucky in 2018.
Her research examined cognitive performance and brain activity in professional, classically trained orchestral musicians. Using neuropsychological assessments and EEG recordings, she explored relationships among musical training, attention, working memory, and cognitive aging.
This work contributes to research on musical engagement as a potential non-pharmacological approach to supporting cognition in older adulthood. It also provides context for her educational focus on music, the brain, and aging.
