Kaarin’s research programs focus on cognitive and mental health resilience, and the consequences and prevention of cognitive ageing and dementia. Kaarin also conducts research into older driver safety, wellbeing, and evaluates interventions to promote mobility and healthy ageing.
In the area of cognitive ageing and dementia risk reduction, Kaarin's program includes conduct and analysis of cohort studies, data synthesis, multidomain risk reduction trials and risk score development. Kaarin has been the Lead Chief investigator of the PATH Through Life Project since 2006 and a Chief Investigator on the project since 2001. PATH is a 20-year longitudinal study of mental health, wellbeing and cognitive function spanning the adult life course that has three cohorts called the 20s, 40s and 60s. Kaarin's team is also currently running the MyCoach trial which is evaluating a new memory support and lifestyle intervention for people with subjective cognitive decline and mild cognitive impairment. Another trial underway is the Australian arm of the SHAPE clinical trial of a group intervention to improve the quality of life for people living with dementia. Kaarin's team has also recently developed a new risk assessment tool to enable individuals and researchers evaluated dementia risk based on the latest evidence. In the field if driving research, Kaarin's is currently running three projects - one randomised trial to improve older driver safety called 'Better drive', one naturalistic study of driving across a range of memory abilities, and a study of ADAS.