ATLANTA — Vonetta Dotson, a professor of psychology and gerontology at Georgia State University, has ventured beyond academia to address growing cognitive health concerns in the community.
In July, Dotson launched CerebroFit, a comprehensive brain health center located in Decatur, Ga., designed to help people enhance and maintain cognitive well-being throughout their lives, regardless of socioeconomic status.
As a brain health advocate and licensed psychologist, Dotson’s research primarily focuses on clinical psychology, neuropsychology and cognitive neuroscience. Throughout her career, Dotson has shared her insights on the importance of brain health at local churches, health fairs and conferences.
Launching CerebroFit is something Dotson’s dreamed of doing for years.
“It feels amazing. This is a professional dream come true,” Dotson said. “I am just thrilled to be in a position where I can see this vision I’ve had for years be realized. We’re offering services I know will work and will help.”
CerebroFit offers an array of services aimed at promoting optimal brain function. The center provides neuropsychological assessments to identify cognitive strengths and weaknesses, virtual or in-person personal training to support physical fitness, nutrition assessments to guide healthy eating and psychotherapy to address mental health concerns.
The center includes a tranquility room for meditation, yoga and relaxation. Health and wellness coaching are also available to help clients integrate these elements into their daily lives, all rooted in the latest scientific research.
“We want to empower people to live the best life they can,” Dotson said. “There’s a huge benefit to having a one-stop shop for brain health. Once I moved to Atlanta, I knew it was the community where I wanted to start this enterprise.”
According to Dotson’s research, Black older adults are at an increased risk of cognitive disorders due to minoritized communities not having access to a variety of brain health resources.
“I’m really trying to promote brain health equity,” Dotson said. “Due to stress that can come from lack of financial resources, discrimination and other social determinants, people from communities who are already at risk often have more barriers to brain-healthy behaviors.”
In the future, Dotson said CerebroFit will host outdoor fitness classes, senior game nights and cooking demos to teach participants how to implement a brain-healthy diet.
“It wasn’t enough for me to just do interesting research. I wanted to make a difference and improve brain health in people,” Dotson said.
Photo by Raven Schley