Molecular profiling of urban environmental impacts: understanding the biology underlying environmental stress and identifying biomarkers of resilience to cognitive impairment and neurodegenerative diseases

This thesis will summarise key literature on the environment and cognition with a focus on neurodegenerative disease to summarise the evidence base and identify gaps in knowledge. <br><br>Additionally, this thesis will provide evidence on the impact of green space exposure on the DNA methylation profiles of adults in Northern Ireland, harnessing data from the Northern Ireland COhort for the Longitudinal study of Ageing (NICOLA), pertaining to their cognitive change.

Exploring the mechanistic pathway between green space and cognitive change through DNA methylation will enable the development of a mechanistic pathway which includes underlying biology and the production of methodological guidance and recommendations for the future research field. Through advancing and encouraging mechanistic pathway research of the environment and neurodegenerative disease, it is hoped that environmental policy will be harnessed in disease prevention, bringing developments which will benefit both environmental and human health. <br><br><i>Thesis is embargoed until 31 July 2031.</i><br>