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         I’m a big fan of the AARP Bulletin and was particularly taken by a cover article titled Super Agers. I’d never heard that term before. Is a Super Ager someone whose appearance belies their age? Or is it someone who can do the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle in pencil? Or are we talking about something much bigger? Who better to answer my questions than cognitive neuroscientist Emily Rogalski, director of the Super Aging Research Initiative at the University of Chicago?        Emily does a stellar job of talking about the human brain and the many ways our memory can be affected both positively and negatively.  Many people think they have a good memory, but super agers are quite rare.  Less than ten percent of the men and women 80+ that sign up to participate in her studies at the Super Agers Research Initiative meet the scientific criteria.  We’re talking about a memory as sharp as folks twenty to thirty years younger! That leaves me out.        Studying that ten percent is providing keys to successful aging, as well as clues to what goes awry in cases of dementia.         Lucky genes don't fully explain why some older people have the memory of “an elephant.”  Is it a diet that makes the difference? Exercise? Social connections? Good mental health, low stress?  Do the brains of super-agers look and behave differently? You bet.Join Dr. Rogalski and me for a rousing discussion about people who are living long and living well, and why others are not. And, who knows, maybe you're a super ager.          Discover more about Emily and the SuperAgers Research Initiative. https://voices.uchicago.edu/haarc/join/

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