Dr. Kat Britt is a gifted nurse, scholar and clinician dedicated to improving the lives and health outcomes of those affected by cognitive impairment and dementia.

Early in her nursing career, Kat’s father was diagnosed with early onset cognitive impairment. He died seven years later of complications from Lewy body dementia following a steady decline in his faculties. His wife, Kat’s mother, was his primary caregiver for five years until she preceded him in death. Her difficulty in overcoming her own health challenges represents a common outcome for those caring for loved ones suffering from dementia. In the wake of her parents’ suffering, Kat shifted the focus of her nursing practice. First as a nurse care manager, then as a nurse scientist, Kat has dedicated her energy and talents to identifying factors that may protect against, or slow, the development of cognitive impairment and dementia. Her research and practice aim to improve lives (1) by slowing the advance of diagnosed mild cognitive impairment and dementia, and (2) by protecting the health and well-being of caregivers who are at heightened risk of negative mental and physical health outcomes. Through non-pharmacological practices supported by the latest academic research, Kat seeks to teach families how best to care for each other following the frightening diagnosis of a loved one.

Kat’s dissertation at the University of Texas at Austin identified potential protective factors in spiritual practices for improved cognitive function and fewer neuropsychiatric symptoms in older adults. Her postdoctoral research at the University of Pennsylvania builds on her previous findings to identify which cognitive domains and brain pathology (e.g., amyloid plaques, tau proteins) are associated with spirituality to inform tailored, spiritual and non-pharmacologic solutions to delay cognitive progression and decline in older adults. Kat’s MSN is in Informatics, and she is adept in both objective and subjective modes of research.

In addition to earning her doctorate from UT Austin where she was selected for the prestigious Mental Health / Psychology Jonas Scholarship, Dr. Britt has completed or currently holds fellowships with the University of Pennsylvania, the Yale School of Medicine, and the Harvard / Massachusetts General Hospital Center on Genomics. She has served as an instructor at Duke University Medical Center, and has presented at numerous research conferences in the US and abroad. Dr. Britt has participated in training at Johns Hopkins University, the University of Michigan, and the University College of London, among others. She currently serves as the Assistant Director of the Johnson and Turpin Center for Gerontological Nursing at UT Austin, and also works with BrainCheck, Inc. as a translational research scientist. (For more details on the above and a complete list of publications, please see the accessible social links available on this page.)

More exceptional than Kat’s productive academic energy is her personal warmth, empathy and wisdom. Kat’s natural manner and true presence with aging patients is that of a beloved daughter. She has a deep technical and scholarly knowledge of her discipline, but her demeanor is that of the best and kindest of nurses. Many people feel an instant affinity for Kat and find her easy to trust. She radiates attentive care and sees in every patient and their family a reflection of her own late mother and father.