Research

Exploring the biological systems shaping cognition, ageing and human function.

Lauren's research explores how biological systems influence cognition across the lifespan, with a particular focus on female brain health, cognitive ageing, menopause and dementia risk. Drawing on neuroscience, bioenergetics and lifestyle medicine, her research examines how hormonal, metabolic and neurobiological processes shape cognitive function, resilience and long-term brain health. Underlying this work is a broader interest in the biological systems that govern how humans think, function, perform and age — and how these systems shape health, leadership and modern life.

Research Philosophy

Understanding mechanisms, not just outcomes.

Lauren's research is grounded in the premise that understanding the biological mechanisms underlying cognition, ageing and human function changes what becomes visible as a clinical or strategic question. Her work sits at the intersection of neuroscience, endocrinology and metabolism — exploring how these systems interact across the lifespan to shape cognitive health, resilience and the trajectory of ageing. The goal is not simply to describe what is happening, but to understand why — and what that means for how we intervene, design environments and build lives.

A central focus is translational science: moving research findings from the laboratory into rigorous, applicable insight for clinical, organisational and public contexts. This includes a sustained focus on female brain health — an area historically underrepresented in neuroscience, and one with significant implications for cognitive ageing, dementia risk and the quality of professional and personal life in midlife and beyond. The science exists. The task is ensuring it reaches the people and institutions that need it.

Current Research Themes

Four areas of sustained inquiry.

Female Brain Health

Neuroendocrine ageing, menopause, cognition and dementia risk. The female brain is not a deviation from a universal biological standard — it is a distinct domain shaped by hormonal, metabolic and structural factors that remain insufficiently understood and underrepresented in the research literature.

Cognitive Ageing & Longevity

The biological determinants of long-term cognitive resilience and healthy cognitive ageing. This theme explores the mechanisms — inflammatory, metabolic, vascular and neuroplastic — that distinguish trajectories of cognitive decline from those of sustained function across the adult lifespan.

Menopause & Cognitive Function

Cognition, mood, identity and lived experience during the menopausal transition. The neurobiological and subjective dimensions of perimenopause and postmenopause — including the role of oestrogen withdrawal, sleep disruption, HPA axis dysregulation and their combined effects on cognitive and emotional function.

Organisational Cognition

The biological systems underpinning sustainable cognitive performance in modern work environments. How chronic cognitive demand, allostatic load and attentional fragmentation accumulate as biological cost — and what the evidence suggests about the design of conditions that support rather than deplete cognitive infrastructure.

Current Studies

Active research.

Featured Study · Randomised Controlled Trial

MENOCOG Trial

What does creatine monohydrate supplementation do to cognition, mood and quality of life in postmenopausal women experiencing subjective cognitive decline? The MENOCOG Trial is a randomised controlled trial designed to investigate the feasibility, acceptability and safety of this intervention — and to generate early evidence on whether metabolic support of this kind has a meaningful role in the management of cognitive symptoms during the postmenopause.

The study sits at the intersection of neuroendocrinology, cognitive ageing and women's health — areas where the evidence base has historically been thin and where the need for rigorous, well-designed trials is acute. The MENOCOG Trial contributes to that evidence base.

Institution Western Sydney University · NICM Health Research Institute
Study Type Randomised Controlled Trial
Status Active

Further studies will be listed as they progress.

Publications & Academic Outputs

Peer-reviewed work and academic contributions.

Selected publications and presentations. A full list is available on request.

Peer-Reviewed Publications

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Dewsbury, L., et al.

2025 Journal Article

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Dewsbury, L., et al.

2024 Journal Article

Conference Presentations & Invited Talks

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Dewsbury, L.

2026 Oral Presentation

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Dewsbury, L.

2025 Invited Talk

Full publication list and academic CV available on request. Contact

Research Collaborations

Selective academic and industry partnerships.

Lauren engages in research collaborations where there is genuine scientific alignment and a shared commitment to rigorous, translational inquiry. Current and previous partnerships span academic institutions, clinical research environments and science-led industry — including work in cognitive neuroscience, women's health, longevity science and the interface of human physiology and modern life.

Collaboration enquiries are considered where the research question is substantive, the methodology is sound and there is clear potential for work that moves between the laboratory and meaningful real-world application. Requests are reviewed individually.

Research Collaboration Enquiry