Margaret Gatz, PhD
Primary tabs
JAD profile
Affiliation(s):
University of Southern California
ORCID URL:
Areas of Interest:
risk and protective factors for dementia, genetic risk for dementia, twin studies, harmonization of measures
Biography & Research:
My primary scholarly focus is the use of longitudinal and twin studies to identify potentially modifiable risk and protective factors across the lifespan, influences that may work in interaction with genes to influence emotional, cognitive, and physical well-being in old age. These interests led me to initiate the Study of Dementia in Swedish Twins and by extension to identifying cases of dementia throughout the Swedish longitudinal twin studies. With these data, we have demonstrated the contribution of cardiovascular disorders, diabetes, and obesity to the risk for Alzheimer’s disease and dementia; the role of depression, anxiety, and other psychosocial variables in dementia and cognitive change trajectories; the protective role of education, occupation, and leisure activities; and geographic variation in occurrence of dementia in Sweden. We have also considered sex differences in the relative influence of genetic and environmental factors for liability to Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, and gender differences in the importance of various lifestyle and environmental risks for dementia.
