Professor Receives Research Grant from National MS Society

Dr. Joshua Sandry, an assistant professor in the Department of Psychology and Director of the Cognition and Neurocognitive Disorders Research lab, was awarded a one year research grant in October 2019 from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society which was recently extended, increasing funding from $200,782 to $731,618 over four years. His research, titled “Neuroimaging of Hippocampally Mediated Memory Dysfunction in Multiple Sclerosis”, aims to measure memory-related abilities and their corresponding neural changes in individuals with and without MS for insight into how cognitive processes change with MS.

Difficulty remembering new information is a common problem experienced by individuals living with MS. Sandry’s four-year research project will fulfill an urgent need and provide a strong foundation for developing future treatments to restore lost memory function.

Sandry’s research will establish the best method for measuring and tracking brain activity underlying memory problems in people with MS. Using advanced neuroimaging techniques, Sandry will investigate links between working memory ability and neural changes within the hippocampus. Tracking people with MS who have memory problems compared to those who do not have memory problems, will enable Sandry to evaluate how cognitive processes change and relate to memory problems as a function of MS.