Dr Nicole Ee
PhD in Psychology, UNSW Sydney and Neuroscience Research Australia, 2026
Thesis: Social Engagement and Cognitive Ageing: Addressing Evidence Gaps, Understanding Multidimensional Associations, and Mechanistic Pathways
Bachelor of Laws / Bachelor of Science (Psychology) with First Class Honours, Australian National University, 2016
Dr Nicole Ee is a Research Fellow in the Brain Health Program at The George Institute for Global Health, specialising in dementia prevention, cognitive ageing and healthy ageing. She was awarded a Westpac Future Leaders Scholarship to undertake her PhD at UNSW and Neuroscience Research Australia, which she completed in 2026. Her doctoral research examined the multidimensional relationship between social engagement and cognitive ageing, including the pathways through which social connections may influence cognitive decline in later life.
Nicole has more than 10 years of experience in ageing and public health research. Her methodological expertise spans systematic reviews and meta-analyses, longitudinal and epidemiological research, intervention research, qualitative methods, and the translation of evidence into policy and practice. She has contributed to major international evidence syntheses examining modifiable risk factors for dementia and cognitive decline, including the development and updating of World Health Organization guidelines on reducing the risk of cognitive decline and dementia.
Her current research focuses on intergenerational approaches to reducing frailty and dementia risk, social and psychosocial influences on cognitive ageing, and inequalities in older adults’ participation in health promotion research. She contributes to the design, implementation and governance of multidisciplinary research projects involving academic, healthcare, community and policy partners. Nicole also has expertise in research co-design, knowledge translation, policy development, stakeholder engagement and advocacy, and experience supervising and building the research capacity of students and early-career researchers.
s ageing, and in previous positions supporting policy and advocacy for older adults. As part of this work, she has conducted several high-level evidence synthesis that have informed and policy development
In 2019, Nicole received a Westpac Future Leaders Scholarship and began her PhD at the University of New South Wales and NeuRA. Her research seeks to explore the relationship between social engagement and cognition in late life. She is also involved in several projects investigating the utility of social interventions for improving health outcomes for older adults.
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
Nicole has contributed as an investigator and project co-lead to more than $1.23 million in competitive research funding. Her funded research spans dementia prevention, intergenerational interventions, cognitive ageing and equitable participation in health promotion.
- Peters R, Lim ML, Naismith SL, Giskes K, Morris T, Brodaty H, Cartmel J, Sparks A, Kimonis ER, Liu H, Harris K, Delbaere K, Ee N, Hubbard RE, Lee A. The INCLUSIVE study: Intergenerational praCtice as a noveL commUnity-embedded Solution for older people experIencing cognitiVe dEcline. Medical Research Future Fund, $944,000, 2025.
- Numbers K, Ee N, Samtani S, Peters R, Sparks A, Shapiro S, Jarrott S, Ng R, Kedwell S. Lost in Translation: Does ageist and gendered language drive low male participation in health promotion research? UNSW Ageing Futures Institute, $49,872, 2024.
- Peters R; Associate Investigators Ee N, Ward S, Kenning G, Goldwater M, Delbaere K, Rockwood K, Dodge H, Fitzgerald A, Lewis E, Radford K. The INTERgenerational Clinical Trial in at-risk Older Adults and Preschool Children, INTERACTION. Mindgardens Neuroscience Network, $149,837, 2021.
- Peters R, Ward S, Hamilton M, Kudrna G, Ee N, Anstey K, Xu Y, Zheng L, Rockwood K, Fitzgerald A, Radford K, Lautenschlager N, Goldwater M, St Nic’s Preschool, Anglicare. The Intergeneration Integration Project: Supporting intergenerational programs within communities. UNSW Ageing Futures Institute, $48,210, 2020.
- Xu Y, Keay L, Peters R, Phu J, Anstey K, Anderson C, Ee N, Andrews S, Kootar S. Eye biomarkers for cognitive impairment. UNSW Ageing Futures Institute, $38,700, 2020.
- 2024: CEPAR Higher Degree Research Student and Early Career Research Fellow Travel Scheme
- 2023: Helen & Emanuel Poteris Award for Research Excellence in Alzheimer’s, Dementia & Parkinson’s Disease
- 2023: Edward C Dunn Foundation Postgraduate Scholarship
- 2023: Best Rapid-Fire Presentation, UNSW Dementia Research Day
- 2019: Westpac Future Leaders Scholarship
- 2019: UNSW Scientia PhD Scholarship, declined in favour of the Westpac Future Leaders Scholarship
- 2017: Best Poster, Emerging Researchers in Ageing Conference
Nicole's research centres on dementia prevention, cognitive ageing, and healthy ageing. Her work explores how social engagement, social connectedness, and intergenerational relationships influence cognitive health and wellbeing across the lifespan. She is particularly interested in identifying and evaluating public health approaches that promote healthy ageing and reduce dementia risk.
Nicole works with older adults, community organisations, healthcare services and advocacy groups to translate research into policy and practice. Her engagement includes co-designing community-based intergenerational programs, building cross-sector partnerships, and communicating evidence to community, clinical, policy and public audiences. She contributes expert academic input through the COTA NSW Academic Roundtable and draws on previous experience in policy and advocacy research with National Seniors Australia. Nicole also supports research capacity building through student supervision and mentoring.
My Teaching
Nicole's teaching interests include dementia prevention, cognitive health, healthy ageing, and the social and behavioural factors that influence health and wellbeing across the lifespan. She is particularly interested in social engagement, social connectedness, and intergenerational approaches to promoting cognitive health and reducing dementia risk. Nicole has previously contributed to teaching in psychology at UNSW and is committed to evidence-informed teaching and research supervision that supports students to address real-world public health challenges.