UC Women in Science: Ana Rita Silva
Ana Rita Silva, a researcher at the Centre for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive-Behavioural Intervention of the UC Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences and a clinical neuropsychologist, is the July guest of ‘UC Women in Science’.
Ana Rita Silva decided early on to study psychology, and the University of Coimbra was her "first and only option". Her interest in gerontology arose through personal relationships. "A lot of our personality comes from our history, and I have good examples and good stories with older people," explains the researcher at the Centre for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive-Behavioural Intervention (CINEICC) at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Coimbra (FPCEUC).
Neuropsychology was also a natural choice. It's a field that "draws on many sources," says Ana Rita Silva. In translational logic, she adds, one of these sources is neuroscience, which "transforms information and basic science into things that can be applied in clinical practice."
She admits that it is "difficult" to combine research with clinical work, but argues, almost as a matter of principle, that "I can only do it if I manage to stay connected to this area." In a field that is "still very much in its infancy as far as research is concerned"—i.e. neuropsychological intervention in ageing—"keeping in touch with reality and understanding needs" is crucial. Ana Rita Silva stresses that "the questions come from clinical work."
English subtitles available.
She feels that her PhD was her first major study "and the first at the FPCEUC related to cognitive stimulation in dementia." During this time, she developed "a paper-and-pencil cognitive training programme" that "is still widely used." Ana Rita Silva argues that "the elderly are all different, and not all programmes are suitable for all profiles. By 'comparing different methods and depending on the patient's profile,' she was able to identify some of the most useful and tailored methods for people's needs."
Later, she led Reminder, a neuropsychological intervention programme for people over the age of 60 aimed at promoting behavioural change," she explains. Based on "knowledge that helps people decide to change, set goals, and determine what is relevant to change in terms of lifestyle," the programme is carried out in groups, the researcher adds. With the data collected, she believes there are "good expectations for the next phase, which will extend the response to other contexts." According to Ana Rita Silva, "what we need now is to recruit more students in the field of clinical neuropsychology, especially in rehabilitation and intervention." These are branches that "have many connections with clinical psychology and form a perfect symbiosis with neuroscience and psychotherapy practices." The researcher also notes that FPCEUC is "a privileged context for greater investment in this field."
Ana Rita Silva is a doctoral researcher and visiting assistant professor at the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Coimbra (FPCEUC), as well as an integral member and coordinator of the "Neuropsychological Assessment and Interventions" research group at the UC Centre for Research in Neuropsychology and Cognitive-Behavioural Intervention (CINEICC). She is a clinical neuropsychologist with an advanced specialisation in Neuropsychology and Clinical Psychogerontology, awarded by the Portuguese Psychologists Association, and works as a clinical psychologist at the FPCEUC Community Services Centre in the Neuropsychological Rehabilitation Clinic. She completed an integrated Master's degree in Clinical and Health Psychology, specialising in Clinical Psychogerontology, and obtained her PhD in Neuropsychology in 2016, conducting research on cognitive stimulation interventions in early Alzheimer's disease. Between 2018 and 2021, she was a doctoral researcher at the Centre for Neuroscience and Cell Biology, where she worked to better understand cognitive changes in elderly inpatients. Since 2021 she has been working in applied neuropsychology, continuing her focus on ageing with the development of the REMINDER neuropsychological dementia prevention programme.
She is also a member of the Neuropsychological Rehabilitation Special Interest Group of the World Federation for NeuroRehabilitation and has conducted research on the development and scientific validation of cognitive and multidimensional stimulation tools for people with brain injuries (stroke, TBI, brain tumours).
She is also a member of the Young Scientists Seminar of the Lisbon Academy of Sciences and has been involved in various academic management bodies since 2024, serving as the researcher's representative in the FPCEUC Assembly and Scientific Council, as well as a member of the Ethics and Deontology Committee.