Dr. Carol Barnes is a preeminent neuroscientist whose pioneering work has profoundly advanced our understanding of brain aging and cognitive function. She currently serves as a Regents' Professor across the Departments of Psychology, Neurology, and Neuroscience at the University of Arizona, holding the prestigious Evelyn F. McKnight Endowed Chair for Learning and Memory in Aging. Dr. Barnes directs both the Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute and the Division of Neural Systems, Memory and Aging at the University of Arizona, positions she has held since 2006 and for which she provides visionary leadership. After earning her PhD cum laude in Psychology from Carleton University in 1977, following undergraduate and master's studies at the University of California, Riverside and Carleton University respectively, she established herself as a leading authority in the neural mechanisms of aging.
Dr. Barnes has dedicated over four decades to meticulously investigating how the brain changes during normal aging and how these changes affect cognitive processes like learning and memory. Her innovative research employs sophisticated animal models of human aging to examine the intricate brain mechanisms underlying cognitive function across the lifespan, utilizing a comprehensive multi-method approach that integrates behavioral, anatomical, electrophysiological and molecular techniques. Her systematic studies have produced numerous seminal publications that are now considered classic references in the field of brain aging research, including groundbreaking work on age-related changes in hippocampal function and memory impairment in aged primates. This rigorous body of work has established fundamental frameworks for understanding cognitive aging trajectories and has significantly influenced how scientists approach the study of neural changes associated with aging.
Beyond her research contributions, Dr. Barnes has shaped the field through her leadership as former president of the Society for Neuroscience and her election to the National Academy of Sciences in 2018, recognizing her exceptional contributions to neuroscience. She has cultivated extensive collaborative networks spanning Arizona, the United States, and international partners, fostering interdisciplinary approaches to understanding brain aging that integrate diverse scientific perspectives. As a dedicated mentor, she has trained numerous students and postdoctoral fellows who have gone on to establish their own successful research careers in neuroscience and aging. Currently, Dr. Barnes continues to lead cutting-edge research aimed at understanding the fundamental mechanisms of cognitive aging with the ultimate goal of developing interventions to positively change cognitive aging trajectories and enhance quality of life for older adults.
