Biography

Dr. Alyssa Gamaldo is a Full Professor of Psychology at Clemson University and affiliated with the Institute of Engaged Aging at Clemson University.  Dr. Gamaldo’s research focuses on identifying adverse (e.g., poor sleep, financial strain, and exposure to discriminatory experiences) and protective factors (e.g., education, life satisfaction and social support) associated with cognitive functioning, particularly in populations at risk for AD/ADRD diagnosis such as Black adults. Dr. Gamaldo is also interested in supporting research that explores the utility of digital cognitive assessments and cognitive training in diverse older adult populations.  Dr. Gamaldo’s background includes working on observational and clinical trial studies that have focused on interdisciplinary research areas such as aging and health disparities; sleep and adult health & well-being; and patterns of cognitive aging.  Dr. Gamaldo graduated with a BA in Psychology in 1999 from North Carolina State University.  She earned an MS in Developmental Psychology in 2004 from Johns Hopkins University and subsequently a PhD in Lifespan Developmental Psychology in 2009 from North Carolina State University.  She completed a NIH/NIA intramural research training post-doctoral fellowship in 2013, where she worked with data from Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) and Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS) projects.