Macarena holds a PhD in Psychology and is specialised in Psychogerontology and intervention with elderly, caregivers and people with dementia. She has broad experience in the field of Psychogerontology and ageing. She is an associate professor in the Department of Psychology of the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences (Pontifical University Comillas). Her lines of research are: 1) the missing link for a new paradigm to account for a healthy and active longevity: focused on Psycho-Behavioural factors: 2) Active ageing, quality of life: to promote a positive image of ageing and older people, fighting ageism; 3) Psychological interventions to promote healthy ageing; 4) Professional and informal caregivers: focused on positive and negative outcomes. This is reflected by several cooperative publications.
Regarding SO-NUTS project, she is in charge of identifying motivators of habit change in the period around retirement and how to motivate individuals to adopt and maintain healthy living habits.