Rebecca Charlton

All Disciplines Scholar Award, The George Washington University - Adult Development & Aging

Rebecca completed her PhD examining the associations between changes in the brain and cognitive abilities in middle-aged and older adults. Several years ago a conversation with a friend raised the question “What happens to autistic people when they get older?” Realising that we know very little about ageing for autistic people, Rebecca has since been working to answer that question. Most researchers investigating autism focus on childhood development. Rebecca brings her expertise on ageing, age-related changes and disorders to ask questions about ageing and autism. As a Fulbright Scholar, Rebecca will be working with colleagues at the George Washington University for four months. Combining expertise in ageing with expertise in autism and developmental trajectories, Rebecca will examine the relationship between cognitive abilities, physical and mental health across the adult lifespan. Rebecca can often be found hiking on the South Downs and is looking forward to exploring the countryside around Washington. She’s also hoping to visit the Kennedy Centre and the Library of Congress.