living healthy longer

Dr. Stephen Aichele, a quantitative psychologist at CSU, describes the relationship between depression and cognitive decline, and how data science methods can be used to determine predictors of cognitive changes. We briefly discuss the effects of air pollution and lead exposure on cognitive development, and Aichele shares what his research reveals about three key predictors of depression risk following middle age: social isolation, poor health and mobility issues.

Zhijie Wang, an assistant professor in CSU’s School of Biomedical Engineering, discusses the anatomy of the heart and why the right ventricle has historically been viewed as the “forgotten chamber" in research. We also discuss tissue engineering as a therapy for heart failure and disease.

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Read about the world's first 3D-printed heart using human cells, created by Israeli scientists in 2019.

Visit Wang's CardioVascular Biomechanics Laboratory.

Josiane Broussard – an assistant professor in the Department of Health and Exercise Science and the director of the Sleep and Metabolism Lab at CSU – explains the importance of sleep and why this essential behavior is key to every process in the body. How do our sleeping patterns change with age, and what can you do to build a better sleep schedule?

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Find tips for healthy sleep from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society.

Sara LoTemplio – a new assistant professor in CSU’s Human Dimensions of Natural Resources department – is here to talk about the restorative effects of nature on the brain. From indigenous teachings, to how the heart and brain respond to being outdoors, LoTemplio shares her preliminary ideas on how interactions with nature might slow cognitive decline in older adults and boost mood and attention span.

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Find the RAAIN Lab here.

Read "Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Wall Kimmerer.

Learn about the University of Washington's Indigenous Wellness Research Institute here.

Today's episode revisits every guest from Season 2 of living healthy longer and what makes them most excited for the future of aging studies. Where is aging research going and what makes CHA affiliate faculty hopeful?

Our show will return for Season 3 in January 2023! Sign up for our newsletter at healthyaging.colostate.edu for updates in the meantime.

Today's show is a special two-part episode with the Health and Human Science Matters podcast, hosted by the College of Health and Human Sciences' Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies, Matt Hickey, and the college’s Digital Media Strategist, Avery Martin.

We teamed up to speak with Dean Lise Youngblade and Dr. Nicole Ehrhart, the former interim and current directors of the Center for Healthy Aging, to have a conversation about women as leaders in science.

Listen to part 1 over at the HHSM podcast, where Ehrhart and Youngblade discuss their trajectories, hobbies, and roles as female leaders in STEM.

Then, come back here for part 2 to learn why CSU is uniquely positioned to study models of aging because of its land-grant mission. Dr. Ehrhart describes the Center’s Longitudinal COVID-19 Screening Study in Nursing Facilities, and Dean Youngblade shares about CSU’s role in responding to the mental health crisis in Colorado, both locally and in rural areas across the state.

Lisa Morgan, an instructor in CSU’s School of Music, Theatre, and Dance, discusses how it feels physically and emotionally to connect with others through the art of dance. Morgan shares the cognitive benefits of movement through dance and introduces her Moving Through Parkinson's program, a dance class for people living with Parkinson's disease.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Moving Through Parkinson's
• Community dance classes at CSU
• Parkinson's Support Group of Larimer County
• Parkinson's Association of the Rockies
• Friends of Traditional Dance in Fort Collins
• Aspen Club
• Fort Collins Senior Center

Jaclyn Stephens and Arlene Schmid, faculty in CSU’s Department of Occupational Therapy, join to share an update about a study that aims to build support for yoga therapy as a treatment for disability and chronic brain injury.

Read more on CSU's SOURCE or from the Boettcher Foundation.

Assistant Professor Tom LaRocca from CSU's Department of Health and Exercise Science is back to tell us about a new study from his lab that is investigating repetitive elements in the genome as biomarkers for aging.

• View the recruitment flyer for the Bio-Aging Study.
• To volunteer for the study, email [email protected].
• Read more about LaRocca's research in repetitive elements.
• Learn about Stanford's iAge inflammatory clock.

Associate Professor Adela Chen from CSU’s Department of Computer Information Systems describes how social media use relates to early childhood experiences, and how the boundaries between our professional and personal lives are blurred by the use of technology at work and at home.