Name: Associate Professor Caroline Gurvich

Specialty: Clinical Neurophysiologist

Country: Australia

Associate Professor Caroline Gurvich is a leading Australian clinical neuropsychologist, researcher and academic specialising in the profound connection between reproductive hormones, brain health and cognition. Serving as the deputy director of HER Centre Australia (Health, Education, and Research in Women's Mental Health at Monash University) and head of its Cognition and Hormones Group, Associate Professor Gurvich is at the forefront of scientific research into how midlife hormonal shifts directly impact how women think, focus and remember.

With a career bridging clinical practice and neuroscientific research, Associate Professor Gurvich has revolutionised our understanding of menopausal "brain fog", a term describing the forgetfulness, concentration difficulties and multi-tasking challenges experienced by up to 60 per cent of women during perimenopause. Her work focuses on establishing clear, objective measures for midlife cognitive changes, differentiating normal hormonal fluctuations from conditions like early-onset dementia or ADHD and identifying modifiable lifestyle factors (such as stress, sleep and diet) that influence brain resilience during the midlife transition.

Beyond her research breakthroughs at Monash University, Associate Professor Gurvich is the chair of the Victorian College of Clinical Neuropsychologists and a dedicated advocate for validating women's cognitive health. She frequently contributes to clinical guidelines, scientific publications and national media, striving to dismantle the stigma surrounding cognitive symptoms at work and home. Through her compassionate, science-driven approach, Associate Professor Gurvich empowers women and clinicians alike to recognise perimenopause not as a decline in intellectual capacity, but as a crucial window of opportunity to optimise lifelong brain health.

Session: Brain fog & overwhelm

Interviewer: Leigh Campbell, You Beauty host

Expect: An insightful look into the realities of brain fog and why this can affect women 

in perimenopause.