Ph.D., Medical Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1997
Clinical Internship, Medical Psychology, Duke University Medical Center, 1996-97
Postdoctoral Fellow, Behavioral Medicine, Duke University Medical Center, 1997-98
Postdoctoral Training and Instructor, Division of Neuropsychology, Department of Neurology,
University of Alabama at Birmingham, 1998-99

RESEARCH INTERESTS:

Virginia G. Wadley, Ph.D., is a licensed clinical psychologist and Associate Professor of Medicine within the Division of Gerontology, Geriatrics, and Palliative Care; Director of the Dementia Care Research Program of the UAB Center for Aging; and Associate Director of the Edward R. Roybal Center for Translational Research on Aging and Mobility at UAB. She recently completed an NIA-funded Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center project, “Everyday Functional Performance in Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI) (Wadley/Ball, Co-PIs),” which investigated longitudinal changes in cognitively demanding skills such as driving that are crucial for mobility and independence among individuals with MCI. This research has demonstrated the existence of functional difficulties among individuals with MCI, a syndrome that often represents the transitional stage between normal aging and dementia. Dr. Wadley also is PI or Co-I of multiple grants and contracts evaluating novel training programs incorporating both physical activity and cognitive stimulation designed to prevent or delay age-related cognitive declines. Dr. Wadley oversees cognitive testing for a number of research protocols, including the ongoing NINDS-funded Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke study (REGARDS; George Howard, PI). This study is following a cohort of over 30,000 American adults for incident stroke and for cognitive decline associated with vascular cognitive impairment. Dr. Wadley also is a Co-I of the NHLBI-funded SPRINT study (Suzanne Oparil, UAB PI) and SPRINT MIND substudy. The substudy is examining cognitive outcomes resulting from lowering blood pressure below current standard thresholds.

RECENT PUBLICATIONS:

Wadley, V.G., Harrell, L., & Marson, D.C. Self and informant report of financial abilities in patients with Alzheimer’s disease: reliable and valid? Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 51, 1621-1626. 2003.

Wadley, V.G., Benz, R.L., Ball, K.K., Roenker, D.L., Edwards, J.D., & Vance, D.E. Development and evaluation of home-based Speed of Processing Training for older adults. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 87, 757-763. 2006.

Wadley, V.G., McClure, L.A., Howard, V.J., Unverzagt, F.W., Go, R.C., Moy, C.S., Crowther, M.R., Gomez, C.R., Howard, G. Cognitive status, stroke symptom reports, and modifiable risk factors among individuals with no diagnosis of stroke or TIA in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study. Stroke, 38, 1143-1147. 2007.

Wadley, V.G., Crowe, M.G., Marsiske, M., Cook, S., Unverzagt, F.W., Rosenberg, A., Rexroth, D. Changes in everyday function among individuals with psychometrically-defined Mild Cognitive Impairment in the ACTIVE study. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 55, 1192-1198. 2007.

Kurella-Tamura, M., Wadley, V.G., Yaffe, K., McClure, L.A., Howard, G., Go, R., Warnock, D., Howard, G., Go, R., Zakai, N., McClure, L. Kidney function and cognitive impairment in US adults: the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study.
American Journal of Kidney Disease, 52, 227-34. 2008.

Okonkwo, O.C., Wadley, V.G., Griffith, H.R., Belue, K., Lanza, S., Zamrini, E.Y., Harrell, L.E., Brockington, J.C., Clark, D., Raman, R., Marson, D.C. Awareness of deficits in financial abilities in patients with Mild Cognitive Impairment: going beyond self-informant discrepancy. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 16, 650-659. 2008.

Pullicino, P., Wadley, V.G., McClure, L.A., Safford, M., Lazar R.M., Klapholz, M., Ahmed, A., Howard, V.J., Howard, G. Factors contributing to global cognitive impairment in heart failure: Results from a population based cohort. Journal of Cardiac Failure, 14, 290-295. 2008.

Crowe, M., Andel, R., Wadley, V.G., Okonkwo, O.C., Sawyer, P., Allman, R.M. Life-Space and cognitive decline in a community-based sample of African American and Caucasian older adults. Journals of Gerontology: Medical Sciences, 63(11):1241-1245. 2008.

Wadley, V.G., Okonkwo, O., Crowe, M., Ross, L.A. Mild Cognitive Impairment and everyday function: evidence of reduced speed in performing instrumental activities of daily living. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry, 16, 416-424. 2008.

Okonkwo, O.C., Griffith, H.R., Vance, D.E., Marson, D.C., Ball, K.K., Wadley, V.G. Awareness of functional difficulties in Mild Cognitive Impairment: a multi-domain assessment approach. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society 57(6),978-984. Epub 2009 Apr 17. 2009.

Roth, D.L., Perkins, M., Wadley, V.G., Temple, E., Haley, W. Caregiving and emotional strain: associations with quality of life in a large national sample of middle-aged and older adults. Quality of Life Research, 18(6): 679-688. Epub 2009 May 7. 2009.

Wadley, V.G., Okonkwo, O., Crowe, M., Vance, D.E., Elgin, J.W., Ball, K.K., Owsley, C. Mild Cognitive Impairment and everyday function: an investigation of driving performance. Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology, 22(2): 87-94. 2009.

Kent, S.T., McClure, L.A., Crosson, W.L., Arnett, D.K., Wadley, V.G., Sathiakumar N. Effect of sunlight exposure on cognitive function: a cross-sectional study. Environmental Health. 2009 Jul 28;8:34. 2009.

Tsivgoulis G., Alexandrov A.V., Wadley V.G., Unverzagt F.W., Go R.C.P., Moy C.S., Kissela B., Howard G. Association between higher diastolic blood pressure levels and cognitive impairment. The REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Study. Neurology Aug 25;73(8):589-95. 2009.

Pullicino, P.M., McClure, L.A., Wadley, V.G., Ahmed, A., Howard, V.J., Howard, G., Safford, M.M. Blood pressure and stroke in heart failure in the REGARDS study. Stroke. [Epub ahead of print] 2009 Oct 15. 2009.


CLINICAL INTERESTS:

Behavioral medicine, medical psychology, neuropsychology

TEACHING INTERESTS:

Health Psychology, Psychology of Aging