Ashleigh Smith

Prof Ashleigh Smith

Professor of Healthy Ageing

School of Allied Health and Human Performance

College of Health

Eligible to supervise Masters and PhD - email supervisor to discuss availability.

Available For Media Comment.

Professor Ashleigh Smith is a Henry Brodaty Dementia Australia Research Foundation Mid-Career Research Fellow, Academic Lead for Research & Research Education (ALH) and the Deputy Director of the Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity (ARENA) Research Centre at Adelaide University. Ash has a broad an unique skill set and expertise that encompasses neuroscience, exercise physiology and cognitive ageing.
Throughout her career, Ash has authored over 90 peer reviewed publications, book chapters and commissioned industry reports. She has also been awarded >$10m million in research grants and fellowships with $3.7 million as lead Chief Investigator including funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC), The Medical Research Future Fund (MRFF), Dementia Australia Research Fund (DARF), and philothopic organisations.
Ash leads a team of 18 and directly supervises 3 post docs, 10 students and 5 research assistants. Ash and her team are passionate about reducing dementia risk in older adults most at risk of dementia by targeting modifiable dementia risk factors and translating that information into feasible and enjoyable intervention studies.
Her research excellence and outstanding community engagement in science has been recognised with over 14 awards for excellence including: a South Australian In-Daily 40 Under 40 award for leadership (2024), UniSA Mid-Career Researcher of the Year (2022), a South Australian Young Tall Poppy Award (2017) and an international Young Investigator Award for research excellence award from the International Congress of Clinical Neurosciences (2010).
 
 

I am an internationally recognised academic leader whose research is positioned at the nexus of neuroscience, exercise physiology and cognitive ageing. I have a broad set of skills and expertise that encompasses neuroscience, exercise physiology and cognitive ageing and a passion to improve the lives of people at risk of dementia

Dementia risk reduction, cognition, physical activity, sleep, sedentary behaviour, compositional data analysis.

Date Position Institution name
2025 - ongoing Academic Lead Research & Research Education Adelaide University

Year Citation
2026 Moore, E. K., Otieno, L. A., Semmler, J. G., Smith, A. E., & Sidhu, S. K. (2026). Age-related differences in how tDCS priming modulates cortical inhibition during fatigue recovery. Neurobiology of Aging, 167, 12-24.
DOI
2026 Mellow, M. L., Stanford, T. E., Olds, T., Miatke, A., Smith, A. E., & Dumuid, D. (2026). An interactive tool to personalise 24-hour activity, sitting and sleep prescription for optimal health outcomes.. NPJ digital medicine, 9(1), 12 pages.
DOI
2026 Rwodzi, Z., Mellow, M. L., Wu, D. P., Laver, K., Dumuid, D., & Smith, A. E. (2026). Characteristics of publicly available digital dementia risk screening tools: A scoping review. Journal of Alzheimer's Disease Reports, 10, 25424823261433534-1-25424823261433534-14.
DOI
2026 Louend, C. J., Keage, H. A. D., Wong, S., Sharman, R. L. S., Smith, A. E., Shialis, M., . . . Hull, M. J. (2026). Insights Into Older Adults' Preferences for Well-Being Programs Through Co-Design. Health and Social Care in the Community, 2026(1), 1-8.
DOI
2026 Cain, T., Curtis, R., Singh, B., Smith, A. E., Brinsley, J., Maher, C., & Davis, A. (2026). Exploring plausible futures for artificial intelligence in rural healthcare: insights from participatory foresight methods. Frontiers in Digital Health, 8, 12 pages.
DOI
2026 Cain, T., Curtis, R., Singh, B., Smith, A., Brinsley, J., Maher, C., & Davis, A. (2026). Exploring plausible futures for artificial intelligence in rural healthcare: insights from participatory foresight methods. Frontiers in Digital Health, 8.
DOI
2026 Macintyre, E., Saredakis, D., Stanford, T., Smith, A. E., Parfitt, G., Smith, R. T., & Stanton, T. R. (2026). VRCycle: the clinical translation of a virtual reality cycling program to enhance exercise engagement in people with knee osteoarthritis. PSYCHOLOGY OF SPORT AND EXERCISE, 82(103009), 14 pages.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1
2025 James, J. J., Mellow, M. L., Bueckers, E. P., Gutsch, S. B., Wrucke, D. J., Pearson, A. G., . . . Hunter, S. K. (2025). Sex differences in human skeletal muscle fiber types and the influence of age, physical activity, and muscle group: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Physiological Reports, 13(21), e70616.
DOI Scopus10 WoS9 Europe PMC4
2025 Falck, R. S., Erickson, K. I., Cerin, E., Zou, L., Smith, A. E., Ortega, F. B., . . . Liu-Ambrose, T. (2025). The Around the Clock Terminology Consortium: A Global Consensus on Terminology to Discuss the 24-Hour Cycle of Physical Activity, Sedentary Behavior, and Sleep. JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY & HEALTH, 23(2), 4 pages.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1 Europe PMC1
2025 Thacker, J. S., Ralph, L. T., Koek, L., Abbasian, A., Bettio, L. B., Smith, A. E., . . . Collingridge, G. L. (2025). Correction to: Synergistic actions of corticosterone and BDNF on rat hippocampal LTP (Molecular Brain, (2025), 18, 1, (42), 10.1186/s13041-025-01213-x). Molecular Brain, 18(1), 4 pages.
DOI
2025 Singh, B., Bennett, H., Miatke, A., Dumuid, D., Curtis, R., Ferguson, T., . . . Maher, C. (2025). Effectiveness of exercise for improving cognition, memory and executive function: a systematic umbrella review and meta-meta-analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 59(12), 866-876.
DOI Scopus79 WoS79 Europe PMC46
2025 Boda, M. R., Rees, A. E., Goldsworthy, M. R., Evangelou, N., Sidhu, S. K., & Smith, A. E. (2025). Scoping review: The effects of diet, physical activity and sleep on motor and physical fatigue in people with multiple sclerosis. Neuroscience, 568, 166-194.
DOI Scopus4 WoS4 Europe PMC3
2025 Mellow, M. L., Blake, H. T., Ferguson, T., Robins, B., Dumuid, D., Olds, T., . . . Smith, A. E. (2025). ‘Small Steps’ towards improving 24-hour time-use behaviours to decrease the risk of dementia: protocol for a personalised, web-based randomised controlled trial in community-dwelling older adults. BMJ Open, 15(11), 14 pages.
DOI Scopus2 WoS2
2025 Blake, H. T., Davis, A., Mellow, M. L., Hull, M., Robins, B., Laver, K., . . . Smith, A. E. (2025). Co-design of a digital 24-hour time-use intervention with older adults and allied health professionals. Frontiers in Digital Health, 7(1544489), 14 pages.
DOI Scopus7 WoS8 Europe PMC4
2025 Burton, B., Mellow, M. L., Bower, I., Barrie, H., Keage, H., & Smith, A. E. (2025). Public Health.. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 21 Suppl 6(Suppl 6), e100636.
DOI
2025 Collins, A. M., Mellow, M. L., Wan, L., Smith, A. E., Oberlin, L. E., Sewell, K. R., . . . Erickson, K. I. (2025). Association between 24-h time-use composition and brain age: The IGNITE study. Alzheimer's and Dementia, 11(4), e70187-1-e70187-10.
DOI
2025 Mellow, M. L., Dumuid, D., Keage, H., Karayanidis, F., & Smith, A. E. (2025). Public Health.. Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association, 21 Suppl 6(Suppl 6), e098141.
DOI
2025 Ware, N., Johnson, J., Fabiani, M., Johnson, S., Michie, P., Low, K., . . . Karayanidis, F. (2025). Region-specific associations between cerebral arterial elasticity and grey matter volume: Evidence for lateral prefrontal vulnerability.. bioRxiv.
DOI
2025 Thacker, J. S., Ralph, L. T., Koek, L., Abbasian, A., Bettio, L. B., Smith, A. S., . . . Collingridge, G. L. (2025). Synergistic actions of corticosterone and BDNF on rat hippocampal LTP. Molecular Brain, 18(1, article no. 42), 1-5.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1 Europe PMC1
2025 Collins, A. M., Mellow, M. L., Smith, A. E., Wan, L., Gothe, N. P., Fanning, J., . . . Erickson, K. I. (2025). 24-Hour time use and cognitive performance in late adulthood: results from the investigating gains in neurocognition in an intervention trial of exercise (IGNITE) study. Age And Ageing, 54(4, article no. afaf072), 1-9.
DOI Scopus10 WoS11 Europe PMC9
2025 Kałamała, P., Ware, N., Fabiani, M., Michie, P., Hunter, M., Wade, A., . . . Karayanidis, F. (2025). Cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiometabolic health are associated with distinct cognitive domains in cognitively healthy older adults. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 19 pages.
DOI
2024 Batesole, J., Tomkinson, G. R., Erickson, K. I., Jurivich, D., Lang, J. J., McGrath, B. M., . . . McGrath, R. (2024). Weakness Thresholds Are Differentially Linked to Cognitive Function by Obesity Status in Older Americans. Journal of Alzheimer S Disease Reports, 8(1), 601-608.
DOI Scopus1
2024 Simpson, F. M., Wade, A., Stanford, T., Mellow, M. L., Collins, C. E., Murphy, K. J., . . . Karayanidis, F. (2024). The Relationship Between Dietary Patterns, Cognition, and Cardiometabolic Health in Healthy, Older Adults. Nutrients, 16(22), 22 pages.
DOI Scopus2 WoS3 Europe PMC2
2024 Mellow, M. L., Dumuid, D., Wade, A., Olds, T., Stanford, T., Keage, H., . . . Smith, A. E. (2024). Should We Work Smarter or Harder for Our Health? A Comparison of Intensity and Domain-Based Time-Use Compositions and Their Associations With Cognitive and Cardiometabolic Health. Journals of Gerontology Series A Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 79(11), 10 pages.
DOI Scopus8 WoS8 Europe PMC9
2024 Skaczkowski, G., Hull, M., Smith, A. E., Dollman, J., Jones, M., & Gunn, K. M. (2024). Understanding farmers' barriers to health and mental health-related help-seeking: the development, factor structure, and reliability of the farmer help-seeking scale. Journal of Rural Health, 40(1), 64-74.
DOI Scopus16 WoS14 Europe PMC10
2024 Mellow, M. L., Dumuid, D., Olds, T., Stanford, T., Dorrian, J., Wade, A. T., . . . Smith, A. E. (2024). Cross-sectional associations between 24-hour time-use composition, grey matter volume and cognitive function in healthy older adults. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 21(1), 11-1-11-17.
DOI Scopus15 WoS16 Europe PMC16
2024 Shah, M., Suresh, S., Paddick, J., Mellow, M. L., Rees, A., Berryman, C., . . . Smith, A. E. (2024). Age-related changes in responsiveness to non-invasive brain stimulation neuroplasticity paradigms: A systematic review with meta-analysis. Clinical Neurophysiology, 162, 53-67.
DOI Scopus7 WoS6 Europe PMC5
2024 Boda, M. R., Otieno, L. A., Smith, A. E., Goldsworthy, M. R., & Sidhu, S. K. (2024). Metaplastic neuromodulation via transcranial direct current stimulation has no effect on corticospinal excitability and neuromuscular fatigue. EXPERIMENTAL BRAIN RESEARCH, 242(8), 14 pages.
DOI Scopus4 WoS3 Europe PMC2
2024 Hou, M., Herold, F., Cheval, B., Owen, N., Smith, A. E., & Zou, L. (2024). Recent trends and disparities in 24-hour movement behaviors among US youth with mental, behavioral and neurodevelopmental conditions. Journal of Affective Disorders, 367, 58-66.
DOI Scopus10 WoS9 Europe PMC9
2024 Singh, B., Murphy, A., Maher, C., & Smith, A. E. (2024). Time to form a habit: a systematic review and meta-analysis of health behaviour habit formation and its determinants. Healthcare, 12(23, article no. 2488), 1-15.
DOI Scopus46 WoS42 Europe PMC24
2024 Sewell, K. R., Collins, A. M., Mellow, M. L., Falck, R. S., Brown, B. M., Smith, A. E., & Erickson, K. I. (2024). A compensatory role of physical activity in the association between sleep and cognition. Exercise and Sport Sciences Reviews, 52(4), 145-151.
DOI Scopus11 WoS10 Europe PMC10
2023 Miatke, A., Olds, T., Maher, C., Fraysse, F., Mellow, M. L., Smith, A. E., . . . Dumuid, D. (2023). The association between reallocations of time and health using compositional data analysis: a systematic scoping review with an interactive data exploration interface. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 20(127), 1-16.
DOI Scopus63 WoS59 Europe PMC62
2023 McGrath, R., Tomkinson, G. R., Hamm, J. M., Juhl, K., Knoll, K., Parker, K., . . . Rhee, Y. (2023). The Role of Different Weakness Cut-Points for Future Cognitive Impairment in Older Americans. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 24(12), 1936-1941.e2.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1 Europe PMC2
2023 Mouatt, B., Smith, A. E., Parfitt, G., Stanford, T., McDade, J., Smith, R. T., & Stanton, T. R. (2023). What I see and what I feel: the influence of deceptive visual cues and interoceptive accuracy on affective valence and sense of effort during virtual reality cycling. Peerj, 11(e16095), 21 pages.
DOI Scopus10 WoS9 Europe PMC4
2023 Mellow, M. L., Dumuid, D., Wade, A. T., Stanford, T., Olds, T. S., Karayanidis, F., . . . Smith, A. E. (2023). Corrigendum: Twenty-four-hour time-use composition and cognitive function in older adults: cross-sectional findings of the ACTIVate study (Front. Hum. Neurosci., (2022), 16, (1051793), 10.3389/fnhum.2022.1051793). Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 17, 1221303.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1
2023 Gutteridge, D. S., Tully, P. J., Smith, A. E., Loetscher, T., & Keage, H. A. (2023). Cross-sectional associations between short and mid-term blood pressure variability, cognition, and vascular stiffness in older adults. Cerebral Circulation - Cognition and Behavior, 5(100181), 1-12.
DOI Scopus11 WoS7 Europe PMC7
2023 Merkin, A., Sghirripa, S., Graetz, L., Smith, A. E., Hordacre, B., Harris, R., . . . Goldsworthy, M. (2023). Do age-related differences in aperiodic neural activity explain differences in resting EEG alpha?. Neurobiology of Aging, 121, 78-87.
DOI Scopus98 WoS98 Europe PMC137
2023 Smith, A. E., Chau, A., Greaves, D., Keage, H. A. D., & Feuerriegel, D. (2023). Resting EEG power spectra across middle to late life: associations with age, cognition, APOE-ɛ4 carriage and cardiometabolic burden. Neurobiology of Aging, 130, 93-102.
DOI Scopus20 WoS20 Europe PMC21
2023 Greaves, D., Astley, J., Psaltis, P. J., Lampit, A., Davis, D. H. J., Ghezzi, E. S., . . . Keage, H. A. D. (2023). The effects of computerised cognitive training on post-CABG delirium and cognitive change: a prospective randomised controlled trial. Delirium, online, 1-12.
DOI Europe PMC7
2022 Hull, M. J., Gunn, K. M., Smith, A. E., Jones, M., & Dollman, J. (2022). "We're lucky to have doctors at all"; a qualitative exploration of Australian farmers' barriers and facilitators to health-related help-seeking. International Journal Of Environmental Research And Public Health, 19(17, article no. 11075), 1-16.
DOI Scopus36 WoS30 Europe PMC23
2022 Mellow, M. L., Dumuid, D., Wade, A. T., Stanford, T., Olds, T. S., Karayanidis, F., . . . Smith, A. E. (2022). Twenty-four-hour time-use composition and cognitive function in older adults: cross-sectional findings of the ACTIVate study. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 16(1051793), 1-14.
DOI Scopus19 WoS20 Europe PMC16
2022 Mellow, M. L., Hull, M. J., Smith, A. E., Wycherley, T. P., Girard, D., & Crozier, A. J. (2022). Mixed-methods evaluation of Daily Moves, a community-based physical activity program for older adults. BMC Geriatrics, 22(1), 12 pages.
DOI Scopus3 WoS3 Europe PMC2
2022 Dumuid, D., Mellow, M. L., Stanford, T. E., Chong, K. H., Sawyer, S. M., Smith, A. E., . . . Olds, T. (2022). Many different roads lead to Rome: equivalence of time-use for activity, sedentary and sleep behaviours and dietary intake profiles among adolescents. Journal Of Activity, Sedentary And Sleep Behaviors, 1(1, article no. 6), 1-11.
DOI Scopus5 WoS3
2022 Olds, T. S., Dumuid, D., Mellow, M. L., Keage, H. A. D., Wade, A. T., Hunter, M., . . . Smith, A. E. (2022). The perceived mental effort of everyday activities in older adults. Experimental Gerontology, 169(article no. 111971), 8 pages.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1 Europe PMC1
2022 Dumuid, D., Mellow, M. L., Olds, T., Tregoweth, E., Greaves, D., Keage, H., & Smith, A. E. (2022). Does APOE epsilon 4 status change how 24-hour time-use composition is associated with cognitive function? An exploratory analysis among middle-to-older adults. Journal of Alzheimers Disease, 88(3), 1157-1165.
DOI Scopus21 WoS20 Europe PMC19
2022 Chau, A. C. M., Smith, A. E., Hordacre, B., Kumar, S., Cheung, E. Y. W., & Mak, H. K. F. (2022). A scoping review of resting-state brain functional alterations in Type 2 diabetes. Frontiers in Neuroendocrinology, 65(100970), 1-16.
DOI Scopus16 WoS15 Europe PMC13
2022 Smith, A. E., Wade, A. T., Olds, T., Dumuid, D., Breakspear, M. J., Laver, K., . . . Karayanidis, F. (2022). Characterising activity and diet compositions for dementia prevention: protocol for the ACTIVate prospective longitudinal cohort study. BMJ Open, 12(1), 1-12.
DOI Scopus9 WoS9 Europe PMC11
2022 Mellow, M. L., Crozier, A. J., Dumuid, D., Wade, A. T., Goldsworthy, M. R., Dorrian, J., & Smith, A. E. (2022). How are combinations of physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep related to cognitive function in older adults? A systematic review. Experimental Gerontology, 159(article no.111698), 111698-1-111698-17.
DOI Scopus61 WoS53 Europe PMC47
2022 Gutteridge, D. S., Tully, P. J., Ghezzi, E. S., Jamadar, S., Smith, A. E., Commerford, T., & Keage, H. A. D. (2022). Blood pressure variability and structural brain changes: a systematic review. Journal of Hypertension, 40(6), 1060-1070.
DOI Scopus29 WoS26 Europe PMC21
2021 Smith, A. E., Dumuid, D., Goldsworthy, M. R., Graetz, L., Hodyl, N., Thornton, N. L. R., & Ridding, M. C. (2021). Daily activities are associated with non-invasive measures of neuroplasticity in older adults. Clinical Neurophysiology, 132(4), 984-992.
DOI Scopus17 WoS13 Europe PMC11
2021 Merkin, A., Sghirripa, S., Graetz, L., Smith, A. E., Hordacre, B., Harris, R., . . . Goldsworthy, M. (2021). Age differences in aperiodic neural activity measured with resting EEG.
DOI Europe PMC8
2021 Otieno, L. A., Semmler, J. G., Smith, A. E., & Sidhu, S. K. (2021). Submaximal isometric fatiguing exercise of the elbow flexors has no age-related effect on GABAB mediated inhibition.. Journal of applied physiology (Bethesda, Md. : 1985), 132(1), 167-177.
DOI Scopus3 WoS3 Europe PMC2
2021 Gavelin, H. M., Dong, C., Minkov, R., Bahar Fuchs, A., Ellis, K. A., Lautenschlager, N. T., . . . Lampit, A. (2021). Combined physical and cognitive training for older adults with and without cognitive impairment: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Ageing Research Reviews, 66(101232), 1-15.
DOI Scopus302 WoS284 Europe PMC235
2021 Nagel, A. K., Loetscher, T., Smith, A. E., & Keage, H. A. D. (2021). What do the public really know about dementia and its risk factors?. Dementia-International Journal of Social Research And Practice, 20(7), 2424-2440.
DOI Scopus24 WoS22 Europe PMC18
2020 Keage, H. A. D., Feuerriegel, D., Greaves, D., Tregoweth, E., Coussens, S., & Smith, A. E. (2020). Increasing objective cardiometabolic burden associated with attenuations in the P3b event-related potential component in older adults. Frontiers in Neurology, 11, 1-11.
DOI Scopus8 WoS9 Europe PMC12
2020 Smith, A. E., Kamm, G. L., Lai, S., Hull, M. J., Baker, J. R., Milte, R., . . . Keage, H. A. D. (2020). A RE-AIM Analysis of an Intergenerational Dementia Education Program. Frontiers in Public Health, 8(248), 11 pages.
DOI Scopus15 WoS14 Europe PMC11
2020 Wade, A. T., Tregoweth, E., Greaves, D., Olds, T. S., Buckley, J. D., Keage, H. A. D., . . . Smith, A. E. (2020). Long-chain omega-3 fatty acid intake is associated with age but not cognitive performance in an older Australian sample. Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging, 24(8), 857-864.
DOI Scopus3 WoS3 Europe PMC4
2020 Greaves, D., Psaltis, P. J., Davis, D. H. J., Ross, T. J., Ghezzi, E. S., Lampit, A., . . . Keage, H. A. D. (2020). Risk factors for delirium and cognitive decline following coronary artery bypass grafting surgery: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of the American Heart Association, 9(22), e017275-1-e017275-15[150].
DOI Scopus141 WoS117 Europe PMC105
2020 Carter, A., Richards, L. J., Apthorp, D., Azghadi, M. R., Badcock, D. R., Balleine, B., . . . Waters, A. (2020). Erratum: A Neuroethics Framework for the Australian Brain Initiative (Neuron (2019) 101(3) (365–369), (S0896627319300054), (10.1016/j.neuron.2019.01.004)). Neuron, 105(1), 201.
DOI Europe PMC2
2020 Greaves, D., Psaltis, P., Lampit, A., Davis, D., Smith, A., Bourke, A., . . . Keage, H. (2020). Computerised cognitive training to improve cognition including delirium following coronary artery bypass grafting surgery: protocol for a blinded randomised controlled trial. BMJ Open, 10(2), e034551-1-e034551-11.
DOI Scopus24 WoS18 Europe PMC14
2020 Smith, A. E. (2020). Neural Control of Movement with Aging and Effects of Activity. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 52(7S), 489.
DOI
2020 Mouatt, B., Smith, A. E., Mellow, M. L., Parfitt, G., Smith, R. T., & Stanton, T. R. (2020). The Use of Virtual Reality to Influence Motivation, Affect, Enjoyment, and Engagement During Exercise: A Scoping Review. Frontiers in Virtual Reality, 1(564664), 23 pages.
DOI Scopus169 WoS136
2020 Rozand, V., Sundberg, C. W., Hunter, S. K., & Smith, A. E. (2020). Age-related Deficits in Voluntary Activation: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 52(3), 549-560.
DOI Scopus47 WoS47 Europe PMC49
2020 Gerritzen, E. V., Hull, M. J., Verbeek, H., Smith, A. E., & de Boer, B. (2020). Successful elements of intergenerational dementia programs: a scoping review. Journal of intergenerational relationships, 18(2), 214-245.
DOI Scopus52 WoS46
2019 Rozand, V., Senefeld, J. W., Sundberg, C. W., Smith, A. E., & Hunter, S. K. (2019). Differential effects of aging and physical activity on corticospinal excitability of upper and lower limb muscles. Journal of Neurophysiology, 122(1), 241-250.
DOI Scopus33 WoS33 Europe PMC27
2019 Mellow, M. L., Dumuid, D., Thacker, J. S., Dorrian, J., & Smith, A. E. (2019). Building your best day for healthy brain aging—The neuroprotective effects of optimal time use. Maturitas, 125, 33-40.
DOI Scopus17 WoS16 Europe PMC13
2019 Mitchell, B. L., Smith, A. E., Rowlands, A. V., Fraysse, F., Parfitt, G., Lewis, N. R., & Dollman, J. (2019). Promoting physical activity in rural Australian adults using an online intervention. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 22(1), 70-75.
DOI Scopus13 WoS15 Europe PMC14
2019 Mellow, M. L., Goldsworthy, M. R., Coussens, S., & Smith, A. E. (2019). Acute aerobic exercise and neuroplasticity of the motor cortex: a systematic review. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 23(4), 408-414.
DOI Scopus61 WoS54 Europe PMC55
2019 Greaves, D., Psaltis, P. J., Ross, T. J., Davis, D., Smith, A. E., Boord, M. S., & Keage, H. A. D. (2019). Cognitive outcomes following coronary artery bypass grafting: a systematic review and meta-analysis of 91,829 patients. International Journal of Cardiology, 289, 43-49.
DOI Scopus156 WoS132 Europe PMC108
2019 Kennett, J., Carter, A., Bourne, J. A., Hall, W., Levy, N., Mattingley, J. B., . . . Thompson, M. B. (2019). A neuroethics framework for the Australian brain initiative. Neuron, 101(3), 365-369.
DOI Scopus11 WoS9 Europe PMC6
2019 Alcorn, T., Hart, E., Smith, A. E., Feuerriegel, D., Stephan, B. C. M., Siervo, M., & Keage, H. A. D. (2019). Cross-sectional associations between metabolic syndrome and performance across cognitive domains: a systematic review. Applied Neuropsychology: Adult, 29(2), 186-199.
DOI Scopus25 WoS25 Europe PMC24
2019 Keage, H. A. D., Feuerriegel, D., Greaves, D., Tregoweth, E., Coussens, S., & Smith, A. (2019). Increasing objective cardiometabolic burden associated with attenuations in the P3b event-related potential component in older adults.
DOI
2018 McAuliffe, L., Parfitt, G. C., Eston, R. G., Gray, C., Keage, H. A. D., & Smith, A. E. (2018). Combining perceptual regulation and exergaming for exercise prescription in low-active adults with and without cognitive impairment. BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation, 10(1), 2.
DOI Scopus5 WoS6 Europe PMC4
2018 Smith, A., Goldsworthy, M., Wood, F., Olds, T., Garside, T., & Ridding, M. (2018). High-intensity Aerobic Exercise Blocks the Facilitation of iTBS-induced Plasticity in the Human Motor Cortex. Neuroscience, 373, 1-6.
DOI Scopus16 WoS14 Europe PMC12
2018 Mitchell, B. L., Smith, A. E., Rowlands, A. V., Parfitt, G., & Dollman, J. (2018). Associations of physical activity and sedentary behaviour with metabolic syndrome in rural Australian adults. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 21(12), 1232-1237.
DOI Scopus14 WoS12 Europe PMC12
2018 Smith, A. E., Hendy, A. M., & Tempest, G. D. (2018). The importance of understanding the underlying physiology of exercise when designing exercise interventions for brain health. Journal of Physiology, 596(7), 1131-1132.
DOI Scopus3 WoS2 Europe PMC1
2018 Smith, A. E., Dumuid, D., Tregoweth, E., Coates, A. M., & Goldsworthy, M. R. (2018). P2‐627: DAILY ACTIVITY PATTERNS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH CORTICAL CONNECTIVITY IN OLDER ADULTS WITHOUT DEMENTIA. Alzheimer's & Dementia, 14(7S_Part_18), 982.
DOI
2017 Ferrar, K. E., Smith, A. E., & Davison, K. (2017). Pacing, conventional physical activity and active video games to increase physical activity for adults with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: Protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial. Jmir Research Protocols, 6(8), 12 pages.
DOI Scopus1 WoS1 Europe PMC1
2017 Hassanlouei, H., Sundberg, C. W., Smith, A. E., Kuplic, A., & Hunter, S. K. (2017). Physical activity modulates corticospinal excitability of the lower limb in young and old adults. Journal of Applied Physiology, 123(2), 364-374.
DOI Scopus38 WoS38 Europe PMC33
2017 Macpherson, H., Teo, W., Schneider, L., & Smith, A. (2017). A life-long approach to physical activity for brain health. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 9(147), 147.
DOI Scopus70 WoS57 Europe PMC46
2016 Kremer, K., Smith, A., Sandeman, L., Inglis, J., Ridding, M., & Koblar, S. (2016). Transcranial magnetic stimulation of human adult stem cells in the mammalian brain. Frontiers in Neural Circuits, 10(MAR), 17-1-17-9.
DOI Scopus10 WoS9 Europe PMC7
2016 Keage, H. A. D., Smith, A., Loetscher, T., & Psaltis, P. (2016). Cognitive outcomes of cardiovascular surgical procedures in the old: an important but neglected area. Heart lung and circulation, 25(12), 1148-1153.
DOI Scopus10 WoS9 Europe PMC9
2016 Smith, A. E., Evans, H., Parfitt, G., Eston, R., & Ferrar, K. (2016). Submaximal Exercise–Based Equations to Predict Maximal Oxygen Uptake in Older Adults: A Systematic Review. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 97(6), 1003-1012.
DOI Scopus14 WoS14 Europe PMC12
2015 Smith, A. E., Eston, R., Tempest, G. D., Norton, B., & Parfitt, G. (2015). Patterning of physiological and affective responses in older active adults during a maximal graded exercise test and self-selected exercise. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 115(9), 1855-1866.
DOI Scopus34 WoS30 Europe PMC24
2015 Evans, H., Ferrar, K., Smith, A., Parfitt, G., & Eston, R. (2015). A systematic review of methods to predict maximal oxygen uptake from submaximal, open circuit spirometry in healthy adults. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 18(2), 183-188.
DOI Scopus56 WoS47 Europe PMC39
2015 Smith, A., Eston, R., Norton, B., & Parfitt, G. (2015). A perceptually-regulated exercise test predicts peak oxygen uptake in older active adults. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 23(2), 205-211.
DOI Scopus10 WoS11 Europe PMC8
2015 Pitcher, J., Doeltgen, S., Goldsworthy, M., Schneider, L., Vallence, A., Smith, A., . . . Ridding, M. (2015). A comparison of two methods for estimating 50% of the maximal motor evoked potential. Clinical Neurophysiology, 126(12), 2337-2341.
DOI Scopus28 WoS27 Europe PMC24
2014 Mitchell, B., Lewis, N., Smith, A., Rowlands, A., Parfitt, G., & Dollman, J. (2014). Rural Environments and Community Health (REACH): a randomised controlled trial protocol for an online walking intervention in rural adults. BMC Public Health, 14(1), 969-1-969-9.
DOI Scopus17 WoS16 Europe PMC13
2014 Ferrar, K., Evans, H., Smith, A., Parfitt, G., & Eston, R. (2014). A systematic review and meta-analysis of submaximal exercise-based equations to predict maximal oxygen uptake in young people. Pediatric exercise science, 26(3), 342-357.
DOI Scopus21 WoS14 Europe PMC9
2014 Smith, A., Goldsworthy, M., Garside, T., Wood, F., & Ridding, M. (2014). The influence of a single bout of aerobic exercise on short-interval intracortical excitability. Experimental Brain Research, 232(6), 1875-1882.
DOI Scopus127 WoS122 Europe PMC108
2013 Vallence, A., Smith, A., Tabor, A., Rolan, P., & Ridding, M. (2013). Chronic tension-type headache is associated with impaired motor learning. Cephalalgia, 33(12), 1048-1054.
DOI Scopus18 WoS18 Europe PMC13
2012 Pitcher, J., Riley, A., Doeltgen, S., Kurylowicz, L., Rothwell, J., McAllister, S., . . . Ridding, M. (2012). Physiological evidence consistent with reduced neuroplasticity in human adolescents born preterm. Journal of Neuroscience, 32(46), 16410-16416.
DOI Scopus44 WoS41 Europe PMC34
2011 McDonnell, M., Bryan, J., Smith, A., & Esterman, A. (2011). Assessing cognitive impairment following stroke. Journal of Clinical and Experimental Neuropsychology, 33(9), 945-953.
DOI Scopus13 WoS11 Europe PMC9
2011 Smith, A., Ridding, M., Higgins, R., Wittert, G., & Pitcher, J. (2011). Cutaneous afferent input does not modulate motor intracortical inhibition in ageing men. European Journal of Neuroscience, 34(9), 1461-1469.
DOI Scopus18 WoS16 Europe PMC15
2011 Smith, A., Sale, M., Higgins, R., Wittert, G., & Pitcher, J. (2011). Male human motor cortex stimulus-response characteristics are not altered by aging. Journal of Applied Physiology, 110(1), 206-212.
DOI Scopus38 WoS36 Europe PMC36
2011 McDonnell, M., Smith, A., & MacKintosh, S. (2011). Aerobic exercise to improve cognitive function in adults with neurological disorders: A systematic review. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 92(7), 1044-1052.
DOI Scopus114 WoS109 Europe PMC94
2009 Smith, A., Ridding, M., Higgins, R., Wittert, G., & Pitcher, J. (2009). Age-related changes in short-latency motor cortex inhibition. Experimental Brain Research, 198(4), 489-500.
DOI Scopus81 WoS74 Europe PMC75
2007 Pitcher, J. B., Higgins, R. D., Tuazon, S. N., & Smith, A. E. (2007). Reduced lateralisation of transcallosal inhibition of motor cortex output in low birthweight men. EARLY HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, 83, S119.
DOI

Year Citation
2025 Coates, A. M., Belton, A., Dyer, K. A., Mead, L. C., Dorrian, J., Scholey, A., . . . Hill, A. M. (2025). Changes in diet quality and cognitive performance in Australian children following 8 weeks of almond consumption: a randomised, controlled cross-over feasibility trial. In PROCEEDINGS OF THE NUTRITION SOCIETY Vol. 84 (pp. 1 page). CAMBRIDGE UNIV PRESS.
DOI
2025 Mellow, M., Dumuid, D., Olds, T., Stanford, T., Keage, H., Karayanidis, F., & Smith, A. (2025). Intensity and Domain-Based 24-Hr Activity Patterns Differ in Their Links to Cognitive and Cardiometabolic Health. In INNOVATION IN AGING Vol. 9 (pp. 1 page). OXFORD UNIV PRESS.
DOI
2020 Smith, A. E. (2020). Neural Control of Movement with Aging and Effects of Activity. In MEDICINE & SCIENCE IN SPORTS & EXERCISE Vol. 52 (pp. 489). ELECTR NETWORK: LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS.
2016 Smith, A. E., Eston, R. G., Tempest, G., & Parfitt, G. C. (2016). Patterning of Physiological and Affective Responses in Older Adults During Self-Selected Exercise and a Graded Exercise Test. In JOURNAL OF AGING AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY Vol. 24 (pp. S12). HUMAN KINETICS PUBL INC.
2016 Smith, A. E., McAuliffe, L., Gray, C., Keage, H. A. D., Eston, R. G., & Parfitt, G. C. (2016). Can Low Active Older Adults Living With and Without Mild Cognitive Impairment Regulate their Exercise Intensity With Perceived Exertion?. In JOURNAL OF AGING AND PHYSICAL ACTIVITY Vol. 24 (pp. S12). HUMAN KINETICS PUBL INC.

Year Citation
2026 Simpson, F., Johnson, J., Kałamała, P., Fabiani, M., Murphy, K. J., Wade, A., . . . Karayanidis, F. (2026). The Mediterranean Diet is Associated with Higher Arterial Elasticity over Prefrontal Cortex in Older Adults.
DOI
2025 Tran, N., Hawkins, G., Smith, A., Steyvers, M., & Karayanidis, F. (2025). A Cognitive Model of Cued Trials Task-Switching Performance.
DOI
2025 Mellow, M., Stanford, T., Olds, T., Miatke, A., Smith, A., & Dumuid, D. (2025). An interactive tool to personalise 24-hour activity, sitting and sleep prescription for optimal health outcomes.
DOI
2025 Saredakis, D., Sharman, R., Keage, H. A. D., Wong, S., Smith, A., & Loetscher, T. (2025). Virtual Connections, Real-World Confidence: A Study on Long-Term Social VR Use and Well-being in Older Adults.
DOI
2025 Kałamała, P., Ware, N., Fabiani, M., Michie, P., Hunter, M., Wade, A., . . . Karayanidis, F. (2025). Cardiorespiratory fitness and cardiometabolic health are associated with distinct cognitive domains in cognitively-healthy older adults.
DOI
2024 Hou, M., Herold, F., Cheval, B., Owen, N., Teychenne, M., Gerber, M., . . . Zou, L. (2024). Recent Trends and Disparities in 24-hour Movement Behaviors among US Youth with Mental, Behavioral and Neurodevelopmental Conditions.
DOI
2024 Boda, M., Otieno, L., Smith, A., Goldsworthy, M., & Sidhu, S. (2024). Metaplastic neuromodulation via transcranial direct current stimulation has no effect on corticospinal excitability and neuromuscular fatigue.
DOI
2024 Tran, N., Hawkins, G. E., Smith, A. E., Steyvers, M., & Karayanidis, F. (2024). A Cognitive Model of Cued Trials Task-Switching Performance.
DOI
2024 Tran, N., Hawkins, G. E., Smith, A. E., Steyvers, M., & Karayanidis, F. (2024). A Cognitive Model of Cued Trials Task-Switching Performance.
DOI
2024 Gao, Y., Zou, L., Hou, M., Cheval, B., Falck, R. S., Herold, F., . . . Owen, N. (2024). Trends and Disparities in Screen-Based Sedentary Behavior and Physical Activity.
DOI
2023 Mellow, M., Dumuid, D., Olds, T., Stanford, T., Dorrian, J., Wade, A., . . . Smith, A. (2023). Cross-sectional associations between 24-hour time-use composition, grey matter volume and cognitive function in healthy older adults.
DOI
2022 Smith, A., Chau, A., Greaves, D., Keage, H. A. D., & Feuerriegel, D. (2022). Resting EEG power spectra across middle to late life: Associations with age, cognition, APOE-ε4 carriage and cardiometabolic burden.
DOI Europe PMC1
2021 Smith, A., Wade, A., Olds, T., Dumuid, D., Breakspear, M., Laver, K., . . . Karayanidis, F. (2021). Optimising activity and diet compositions for dementia prevention: Protocol for the ACTIVate prospective longitudinal cohort study.
DOI
2021 Mellow, M., Crozier, A., Dumuid, D., Wade, A., Goldsworthy, M., Dorrian, J., & Smith, A. (2021). How are combinations of physical activity, sedentary behaviour and sleep related to cognitive function in older adults? A systematic review.
DOI
2020 Gavelin, H. M., Dong, C., Minkov, R., Bahar-Fuchs, A., Ellis, K., Lautenschlager, N., . . . Lampit, A. (2020). Combined physical and cognitive training for older adults with and without cognitive impairment: A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.
DOI

I have been awarded >$10 million (AUD) of research funding across my career including funding from the NHMRC, MRFF, ARC, philanthropy and industry.

Selection of research grants (last 5-years):

  • Small Steps towards dementia prevention, Medical Research Future Fund ($588K), 2023 - 2027, role CIA.
  • My Best Day for Knee OA (Erin MacIntyre), Arthritis Australia - Project Grants ($26K), 2025, role co-CI.
  • Not everyone has the same 24 hours in a day: Addressing time inequality through AI-based personalised time-use interventions, NHMRC Ideas Grant ($1.37m), 2025-2028, role CID.
  • Henry Brodaty Dementia Australia Research Foundation mid-career fellowship, Dementia Australia Research Foundation, 2023 - 2025, role sole CI.
  • Dialling up health: A non-inferiority trial of an AI-enhanced telephone lifestyle counselling service, Medical Research Future Fund ($1.89m), role co-CI.
  • Spatial navigation assessment: pathway to clinical translation and early diagnosis of dementia, Medical Research Future Fund ($1.99m), role co-CI.
  • Living your best day- Optimising activity and diet compositions for dementia prevention, NHMRC - Boosting Dementia Research Grants, 2019 - 2025 ($1.23m), role CIA

I am heavily committed to the training of future professionals through teaching and research supervision undergraduate and postgraduate levels. My teaching philosophy is characterised by an empathetic student-centered approach. I employ clear and transparent learning outcomes, thorough and constructive feedback, and I present information in a logical and high-quality way. I am available to provide support to students (online or face-to-face) outside of dedicated teaching times.

I am a sought-after research supervisor, and I have recently been appointed the Academic Lead of Research and Research Education for the School of Allied Health and Human Performance. 

Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
2025 External Supervisor Treatment of Frailty and Comorbidities in Older Patients with Heart Rhythm Disorders Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Jack Harry Wilde
2025 External Supervisor Impact of yoga on Neuroplasticity Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Keirrthana Jothy
2025 Co-Supervisor Impact of yoga on Neuroplasticity - Doctorate Full Time Ms Keirrthana Jothy
2025 Co-Supervisor Developing Screening Tools for Assessing and Responding to Traumatic Brain Injury in Youth Justice Settings Master of Philosophy Master Part Time Miss Sumana Maney
2025 Co-Supervisor Treatment of Frailty and Comorbidities in Older Patients with Heart Rhythm Disorders Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Jack Harry Wilde
2025 Principal Supervisor Small Steps towards dementia risk reduction Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mrs Alison Doyle
2025 Principal Supervisor Cross sectional associations between weather and time-use in older adults across activity contexts and rural and urban settings - Master Part Time Miss Georgia Crossman
2025 Co-Supervisor Optimising time use for multiple health outcomes Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Amy Elizabeth Rees
2025 Co-Supervisor Treatment of Frailty and Comorbidities in Older Patients with Heart Rhythm Disorders Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Jack Harry Wilde
2025 Co-Supervisor Impact of yoga on Neuroplasticity Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Keirrthana Jothy
2025 Principal Supervisor Cross sectional associations between weather and time-use in older adults across activity contexts and rural and urban settings Master of Philosophy Master Part Time Miss Georgia Crossman
2024 Co-Supervisor Concussion in Women's Australian Rules Football Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Mr Jack Luders
2024 Principal Supervisor Addressing Dementia Risk in Rural Australia Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Ms Britt Jane Burton
2023 External Supervisor The interaction between diet, physical activity and neuroplasticity in multiple sclerosis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Madison Boda
2023 Co-Supervisor The interaction between diet, physical activity and neuroplasticity in multiple sclerosis - Doctorate Part Time Miss Madison Boda
2023 Co-Supervisor The interaction between diet, physical activity and neuroplasticity in multiple sclerosis Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Miss Madison Boda
2022 Principal Supervisor Building your best day for dementia prevention - longitudinal trajectories of dementia risk Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Miss Zandy Rwodzi

Date Role Research Topic Program Degree Type Student Load Student Name
2021 - 2024 Principal Supervisor Nourishing the mind: exploring the relationship between dietary patterns, cognition, and brain volume in older adults Master of Research (Health Sciences) Master Part Time Miss Ashlee Harvey
2020 - 2023 Principal Supervisor Developing workplace exercise intervention strategies for Australian police officers Master of Research (Human Movement) Master Part Time Miss Laura Johns
2020 - 2024 Principal Supervisor Exploring the impact of age and acute aerobic exercise on non-invasive measures of neuroplasticity Master of Research (Health Sciences) Master Part Time Miss Mahima Shah
2020 - 2024 Co-Supervisor The neural contribution to pain and motor function, and the influence of habitual physical activity in people with knee osteoarthritis Master of Research (Health Sciences) Master Part Time Ms Johanna Paddick
2020 - 2023 Principal Supervisor 24-hour time use, cognitive function and brain health in older adults Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Full Time Miss Maddison Mellow
2019 - 2023 Co-Supervisor The relationship between blood pressure variability, cognitive functioning and brain health in older adults Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Mrs Daria Gutteridge
2018 - 2020 Co-Supervisor Perceptual and affective responses during virtual reality exercise Doctor of Philosophy Master Part Time Mr Brendan Mouatt
2017 - 2021 Co-Supervisor Investigating cognitive outcomes following coronary artery bypass grafting surgery Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Miss Danielle Greaves
2016 - 2019 Co-Supervisor Cultivating farmer health: development, evaluation and application of a novel help-seeking scale for farmers Doctor of Philosophy Doctorate Part Time Dr Melissa Hull

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