POST-DOCTORAL TRAINEE

University of Wisconsin

Tori Fleming-Batayneh is a post-doctoral trainee at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. As a McNair scholar, she completed her Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls before continuing her education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she pursued a combined MS/PhD in Human Development and Family Studies. As a graduate student, Tori’s research focused on Alzheimer’s disease and aging in adults with Down syndrome, with particular emphasis on the roles of physical activity, inflammation, and metabolic factors in cognitive decline and resilience. Her dissertation examined longitudinal changes in body mass index and biomarkers of Alzheimer’s pathology, identifying early indicators of disease progression in this underserved population. Throughout her training, Tori has contributed to multiple peer-reviewed publications, presented her work at national and international conferences, and secured F31 funding through the National Institutes of Health. She is passionate about translating research findings into community-based interventions and informing policy to improve quality of life and health outcomes for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). Beyond research, Tori is actively involved in mentoring students, developing outreach materials, and collaborating with multidisciplinary teams to advance understanding of aging trajectories in IDD populations.