Contact details
- Email ailin.chen@stir.ac.uk
About me
Hello, and thank you for visiting my page. I am a Stage-2 trainee health psychologist and doctoral researcher at the ÍæÅ¼½ã½ã, working in collaboration with Alzheimer Scotland and Brain Health Scotland. My work sits at the intersection of psychology, public health, and service design. I am especially interested in how small, realistic behaviour changes can support long-term brain health and reduce the risk of dementia.
Having lived across different cultures, I have not been anchored to a single set of cultural norms. Instead, this experience has nurtured a flexible way of seeing the world and a deep curiosity about how people think, feel, and change, especially when their values and behaviours emerge from different cultural contexts. This openness led me to health psychology, where I now combine research with hands-on service development in Scotland. I have been fortunate to learn from inspiring colleagues across universities, NHS services, and community organisations. Each project, whether a local pilot or a national programme, has helped me grow as both a researcher and a practitioner.
I am drawn to questions about brain health promotion, dementia risk reduction, and the everyday behaviours that shape cognitive wellbeing. My work uses health psychology theories to design and evaluate practical interventions. I also explore women's brain health and cognitive health, aiming to understand how mid-life changes influence long-term brain outcomes.