Dr. Stina Saunders Spills the Tea on Why Brain Health Needs a Personal Touch

In this thoughtful episode of HITea With Grace, I sit down with Dr. Stina Saunders, Personalised Medicine Lead at Linus Health, clinical psychologist, and researcher reshaping how we measure brain health outcomes—starting with what actually matters to patients. Dr. Saunders walks us through her career path from academic research to applied innovation, leading to her groundbreaking study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions. Her findings? That traditional cognitive assessments fall short when it comes to capturing the most meaningful aspects of life for people living with Alzheimer’s and related dementias. We explore how this research supports the urgent need for a personalized, culturally informed approach to brain health—one that honors a patient’s lived experience, values, and priorities. Stina also introduces us to the ePSOM tool (electronic Person-Specific Outcome Measure), a UK-born innovation now gaining traction in the U.S., which allows individuals to define success on their own terms in the face of cognitive decline. From clinical significance to implementation, this conversation is packed with insights on patient voice, personalized care planning, and what it takes to truly center individuals in healthcare.