Regina Sims Wright, PhD
Associate Professor
School of Nursing
University of Delaware
Dr. Sims Wright’s program of research examines cardiovascular and psychosocial predictors of cognitive function among older adults, with a focus on African Americans, a population disproportionately affected by poorer cardiovascular health and psychosocial outcomes, and cognitive decline. This program of research seeks to identify and explain the influence of cardiovascular and psychosocial factors (e.g., blood pressure, glucose abnormalities, social support) on patterns of cognitive function across a number of cognitive domains and abilities. Currently, her work is moving toward greater exploration of the interactive mechanisms that account for cognitive outcomes among older adults to gain a more in-depth focus on how biological, psychological, and behavioral factors interact to influence cognitive function. Recently, Dr. Sims Wright began examining nutritional components of the diet and their association with cognitive function. Pulling from expertise related to inflammation and cardiovascular risk factors, she is also examining whether C-reactive protein (a potent predictor of cardiovascular disease), obesity, and traditional cardiovascular risk factors, mediate associations between components of the diet and cognitive function. Dr. Sims Wright is an active member of the Gerontological Society of America and the American Psychosomatic Society.