Lesley A. Guareña, M.A., is a doctoral candidate in the Clinical Psychology (Neuropsychology) program at the University of Arizona. Her research centers on neuropsychology, cognitive aging, and brain health equity, with a particular focus on stress-related mechanisms that contribute to cognitive decline and dementia risk. She investigates how psychosocial stress and physiological stress markers—such as diurnal cortisol patterns and cardiovascular risk factors—relate to memory and executive functioning outcomes, as well as structural and vascular brain markers. A central theme of her work is understanding how these processes operate within Hispanic/Latino populations compared to non-Hispanic White adults, with the broader goal of reducing disparities in neurocognitive aging.
Clinical Psychology PhD Candidate, University of Arizona