Andrea Méndez Colmenares, MD, PhD

About Me

I’m a medical doctor and scientist from Maracaibo, Venezuela. My Ph.D. in Cognitive Neuroscience at Colorado State University focused on how the brain’s white matter changes with aging, using advanced MRI techniques to study plasticity and decline. Through that work, I became interested in how lifestyle, health, and culture shape the biology of aging and resilience.

I’m now a Neurology resident at Duke University, where my current research examines cognitive health and risk of dementia in older Latino adults. My long-term goal is to make dementia research and care more inclusive for everyone, including Spanish-speaking communities.