Karlene Ball, university professor of psychology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, has received the Award for the Advancement of Psychology and Aging from the American Psychological Association.
Throughout her 45-year career in academia, Dr. Ball has focused her research on developing interventions to improve cognitive function in older adults. Currently, she is studying how to improve the effects of cognitive training on everyday function. Alongside a team of colleagues, she works with populations who may experience cognitive impairment due to aging, multiple sclerosis, and dementia.
In addition to her primary appointment in the department of psychology, Dr. Ball is affiliated with UAB’s department of neurobiology, the Vision Research Center, the Comprehensive Neuroscience Center, and the Center for Exercise Medicine. She also holds several leadership appointments, including director of the Edward R. Roybal Center for Research on Applied Gerontology, associate director of the Comprehensive Center for Healthy Aging, and associate director of the Center for Outcomes and Effectiveness Research and Education.
Dr. Ball is a graduate of Indiana University, where she majored in psychology. She holds a master’s degree and Ph.D. in psychology from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois.