Sara Moustafa, PhD, MSc
Postdoctoral Fellow
We advance brain health by embedding dementia research in LMIC realities, building local cohorts, training African researchers, and translating findings into policy so equity is the measure of progress.
Current Work
Sara is a neuroscientist and Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Institute of Global Health and Human Ecology. As an APCC fellow, her research focuses on cognitive aging, dementia, and the validation of cognitive assessments in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs).
Personal Hero
Sir Magdi Yacoub
Words of Strength
Rigorous, resilient, relentlessly curious
Vision
We advance brain health by embedding dementia research within LMIC realities building locally-owned cohorts, training African researchers, and translating findings into policy so brain health equity, not just awareness, becomes the measure of progress.
Strategy
leading harmonized cognitive aging research across the AL-SEHA Egyptian cohort of over 11,000 participants, building culturally-valid dementia screeing that finally give African populations a seat in global brain health science.
Impact
As an Atlantic Fellow, Sara aims to build lasting research capacity across African cohorts and translate cognitive aging evidence into national dementia policy, ensuring Egypt and the wider region shape not just receive global brain health knowledge.
Motivation
Egypt's aging population faces rising dementia rates, but chronic shortages in screening infrastructure and diagnostic reporting leave most cases undetected—AL-SEHA is building the region's first rigorous cognitive data to close that gap.
Education & Experience
Sara is a neuroscientist with a PhD in Global Public Health, focusing on neurodegenerative disease and cognitive decline. She is now a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the American University in Cairo, leading the AL-SEHA Egyptian HCAP cohort one of Africa's largest studies on dementia and cognitive aging.
Awards & Honors
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Sara
a NoteHave ideas for global brain health or a collaboration? I would love to hear from you. Feel free to send an introductory note.
