Dr. Justin Palmer, a postdoctoral scholar in Dr. Scott Hayes’ Buckeye Brain Aging Lab (B-BAL), has received the Ohio State President’s Postdoctoral Scholars Program fellowship.

The fellowship—Palmer’s first—provides up to two years of salary support and full benefits, as well as dedicated funds to support his research and professional development.

“Being in research, you have to get used to rejection; not every idea or grant will get funded. In fact, most don’t,” he said. 

“Earning the PPSP was really encouraging to me because it showed that I can do it and that someone thinks my scientific ideas are worth funding!”

Palmer’s work focuses on understanding how modifiable lifestyle factors and genetics impact cognition in aging. With support from the fellowship, he will investigate the potentially protective effects of physical activity and fitness, as well as how these factors affect brain structures.

“Work from Dr. Hayes and others has suggested that physical activity and fitness may exert benefits specifically on the hippocampus, a key area of the brain responsible for memory formation,” he explained. 

“Funding from this award will help us investigate the integrity of the hippocampus using multimodal MRI.”

Before joining Ohio State last autumn, Palmer completed a year-long internship at the Louis Stokes Cleveland Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, where he focused on neuropsychological assessments. He evaluated veterans’ cognitive concerns in both inpatient and outpatient settings and enjoyed working with both patients and their families.

“I am grateful I get to continue addressing these concerns through my research with Dr. Hayes at Ohio State, with the hope of understanding better ways to protect brain health and mitigate cognitive impairments,” Palmer said.