Cohort 
2018

Laís Fajersztajn, PhD

Environmental Health Researcher

In order to promote brain equity, we as a society should work hard to reduce potentially modifiable risk factors for dementia, which includes promoting healthier living environments in urban areas.

Current Work

Lais is an environmental health researcher at the University of São Paulo. She is investigating urban and environmental health to understand the effects of air pollution on neurodegenerative diseases.

Personal Hero

Her mentor Paulo Saldiva

Words of Strength

Making connections and building relations

Vision

Laís believes we need to pay attention to the role of environmental factors in potentially causing and aggravating dementia. Environmental exposures such as air pollution can be modifiable and could be part of dementia risk reduction strategies.

Strategy

Lais is an environmental researcher investigating urban and environmental health. She is working to understand the effects of air pollution on neurodegenerative diseases.

Impact

Understanding the role of environmental exposures in potentially causing and aggravating dementia connects to GBHI's mission because of its relation to brain equity cause, given that pollution levels are usually higher among more vulnerable population such as those with lower socioeconomic.

Motivation

Sâo Paulo is a megacity with a growing elderly population. Laís argues that it has significant environmental and socioeconomic inequalities that might be influencing dementia risk and treatment.

Education & Experience

Laís has a bachelor's degree in Physical Therapy from the University City of São Paulo, Brazil and and Specialization in Gerontology and Rehabilitation from the Paulista School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo, Brazil. She received her PhD from the University of São Paulo, School of Medicine, Brazil and is specialized in Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis in the same institution. She has a posdoc from the Institute of Advanced Studies, University of São Paulo. She worked with advocacy in an environmental and health non governamental organization.

Awards & Honors

2010. Honorary Associated. Instituto Saúde e Sustentabilidade, Non-Governament Organization, São Paulo, Brazil 2013. Dow Sustainability Innovation Student Challenge Award. Dow Chemistry Company and the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil. 2014. New Voices in Global Health. The Lancet, University of São Paulo and M8 Alliance of Academic Health Centers, São Paulo, Brazil 2017. Scholarship for oral presentation at the International Conference on Urban Health, Coimbra, Portugal for abstracts related to their theme of Healthy Inclusive Placemaking: Global Ideas for US Solutions. Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s and International Conference on Urban Health

2017
Scholarship for oral presentation at the International Conference on Urban Health, Coimbra, Portugal for abstracts related to their theme of Healthy Inclusive Placemaking: Global Ideas for US Solutions
2014
New Voices in Global Health. The Lancet, University of São Paulo and M8 Alliance of Academic Health Centers, São Paulo, Brazil
2013
Dow Sustainability Innovation Student Challenge Award. Dow Chemistry Company and the University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
2010
Honorary Associated. Instituto Saúde e Sustentabilidade, Non-Governament Organization, São Paulo, Brazil