University of California-Los Angeles · PsychologyCallaghan Cognition Lab
Bridget L Callaghan · Los Angeles, California
Research Focus
Dr. Bridget L Callaghan's lab at UCLA investigates how early life experiences, particularly moving up from poverty, affect cognitive health and Alzheimer's Disease risk later in life. The research focuses on understanding how stress related to social mobility impacts brain health, especially in young women. By examining inflammation, gut microbiome changes, and cognitive outcomes, the lab aims to uncover the complex relationships between socioeconomic status, health, and brain function.
Alzheimer's Diseasecognitive healthsocial mobilityinflammationgut microbiomestresssex differencesyoung adulthoodpovertyhealth risks
Research Aims
3AIM 01Identify the impact of upward mobility on cognitive ability in young adults and how this links to Alzheimer's Disease risk.
AIM 02Establish connections between mobility opportunity, inflammation, and gut microbiome profiles, analyzing how these are influenced by sex.
AIM 03Investigate the relationship between health indicators (inflammation, microbiome) and brain structure/function, assessing their links to cognitive ability.
Skills the Lab Values
statistical analysisdata collectionpsychological assessmentsblood samplingMRI imagingexperimental designgut microbiome analysisinflammatory marker measurementcohort studiespublic health research
Output against the department
Publications120bottom 36% of dept.188th of 296
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations3.3kbottom 32% of dept.202nd of 296
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.