Rebecca MacAulay

Associate Professor
Psychology

Research Interests

Broadly, my research focuses on understanding cognitive aging processes. My research aims to: (1) better understand factors that increase risk and resilience to cognitive decline across the adult life span, (2) increase the sensitivity and external validity of assessment techniques used to detect preclinical stages of neurological impairment, and (3) apply this research to future intervention models in order to improve functional outcomes in older adults.

Specific programs of research include:

Investigation of link between motor and cognitive decline
Development of motor-cognitive screener measures to use within primary care settings
Role of attention network functioning in motor and affective disturbances
Understanding the relationship between depression and anxiety with cognitive decline
Development of brief cognitive-behavioral interventions for older adult populations

MacAulay, R.K., Goldstein, A., Tallman, M., Landry, M., Gupta, S. (2026). Brief Mindfulness-Based Intervention for Older Adults: The Mindful Aging Memory (MAM) Program. Mindfulness. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12671-026-02764-3

MacAulay, R. K., Tallman, M., Maynard, T., & Timblin, H. (2024). Coping Patterns Associations with Cognitive Function in Older Adults. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society, 30, 738–745. doi:10.1017/S1355617724000377

MacAulay, R. K., Timblin, H., & Tallman, M. (2023). How Loneliness Gets Under the Skin: Inflammation Mediates the Relationship between Loneliness and Gait Speed. Psychosomatic Medicine. doi.org/10.1097/PSY.0000000000001268

MacAulay, R. K., Brown, L., & Moore, L. (2022). Mindfulness stress-buffering model of health: Implications for successful aging. Aging and Mental Health. doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2022.2107175

MacAulay, R. K., Halpin, A., Andrews, H. & Boeve, A. (2022). Trait Mindfulness Associations with Executive Function and Well-being in Older Adults. Aging and Mental Health, 1-8. doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2021.1998352

MacAulay, R. K., Boeve, A., & Halpin, A. (2021). Comparing Psychometric Properties of the NIH Toolbox to Gold-Standard Cognitive Measures in Socioeconomically Diverse Older Adults. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 36(8), 1523-1534.  doi.org/10.1093/arclin/acab018

MacAulay, R. K., Halpin, A., Cohen, A. S., Boeve, A., Calamia, M., Brouillette, R. M., Foil, H. C., Bruce-Keller, A. J., & Keller, J. N. (2020). Predictors of Heterogeneity in Cognitive Function: Depression, APOE-e4, Education, and Vascular Risk. Archives of Clinical Neuropsychology, 35(6), 660-670. doi.org/10.1093/arclin/acaa014 

MacAulay, R. K., Edelman, P., Boeve, A., Sprangers, N., & Halpin, A. (2019). Group music training as a multimodal cognitive intervention for older adults. Psychomusicology: Music, Mind, and Brain, 29(4), 180–187. doi.org/10.1037/pmu0000239 

MacAulay, R. K., Calamia, M. R., Cohen, A. S., Daigle, K., Foil, H., Brouillette, R., … & Keller, J. N. (2018). Understanding heterogeneity in older adults: Latent growth curve modeling of cognitive functioning. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology40(3), 292-302. doi.org/10.1080/13803395.2017.1342772

MacAulay, R. K., Wagner, M. T., Szeles, D., & Milano, N. J. (2017). Improving Sensitivity to Detect Mild Cognitive Impairment: Cognitive load dual-task gait assessment. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society (JINS), 23(6), 493-501. doi.org/10.1017/S1355617717000261

    Areas of Expertise

    Aging And Older Adults
    Cognitive Interventions
    Emotion Regulation
    Neuropsychology
    Portrait of Rebecca MacAulay
    Associate Professor
    Graduate Coordinator