Blog: The Brain Dialogues, filtered by tag: Centenarians

The Keys to Growing Old Well

The Keys to Growing Old Well
Mrs Patricia Segal
HEIDI DOUGLASS | h.douglass@unsw.edu.au Across the globe, people are fascinated and intrigued by centenarians – the group of incredible human beings that defy the odds and live to 100 and beyond.  Over the last 20 years, the number of Australians who were living to over 85 years of age has risen by 110%; an extraordinary increase and begs the question as to whether this trajectory will continue. Sydney near-centenarian Mrs Patricia Segal is the hallmark of positive ageing. She is a participant in CHeBA’s Sydney Centenarian Study which explores the genetic and environmental determinants of… Read More
30 Jun 2020

Julia Riches | Meet Our Researcher Series

The participants of CHeBA’s Sydney Centenarian Study have quite literally a century’s worth of knowledge and possibly the most diversified life experience of us all. Experiencing the impacts of World Wars, countless technological innovations and the unusual circumstances of a global pandemic. Their invaluable insights confirmed to Julia Riches that CHeBA was the place to be.   How did you get into researching the ageing brain? I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of Queensland and started working as a Research Assistant there, coincidently, on CHeBA’s Social Cognition… Read More
6 Jun 2020

Dr Jiyang Jiang | Meet Our Researcher Series

Participants in CHeBA’s Sydney Centenarian Study represent a significant piece of the puzzle when it comes to understanding successful ageing. Dr Jiyang Jiang hopes to utilise MRI imaging to account for differences in cognition found in healthy centenarians to develop early intervention targets for individuals at risk for cognitive decline. The wealth of hidden information found in MRI scans drew Dr Jiang to the field of neuroimaging.   How did you get into researching the ageing brain? Following my completion of a Bachelor of Engineering in China, I came to Australia to study a Master of… Read More
19 Nov 2019

Tale of the Century

Peter Singleton of Woollahra with Sydney Centenarian Study Coordinator Dr Catherine Browning
Peter Singleton of Woollahra with Sydney Centenarian Study Coordinator Dr Catherine Browning
This article was originally published in Montefiore LIFE, Rosh Hashana 2019. Discover more about the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA) UNSW's Sydney Centenarian Study, which includes many Montefiore residents. Every year, the likelihood of living to 100 and beyond increases. The possibility of achieving this exceptional age is on the one hand exciting – after all, throughout history, humankind has been intrigued by the fountain of youth concept. However, longevity can come with significant challenges. The Sydney Centenarian Study led by the UNSW Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA… Read More
11 Nov 2019

Inter-Generational Family Foundation

CHeBA Blog: Inter-Generational Family Foundation
The Mostyn Family Foundation
HEIDI DOUGLASS | h.douglass@unsw.edu.au Multigenerational giving provides meaningful opportunities to bring family members together to support common causes, give back to communities, and create lasting change; a concept that is well understood by the Mostyn family in Sydney. Three generations of the Mostyn family work collectively to provide funding support for valuable projects, while modelling social values to younger generations and raising awareness of community needs. The Mostyn Family Foundation was founded by Bob Mostyn in 2011 with support of his sons Richard, Andrew and Robert… Read More
14 Aug 2017

Yvonne Leung joins CHeBA as ICC-Dementia Study Co-ordinator

HEIDI DOUGLASS | h.douglass@unsw.edu.au CHeBA post-doctoral research fellow Yvonne Leung brings experience in computer programming, experimental design and data analysis to her new role as study co-ordinator on the International Consortium of Centenarian studies of dementia  (ICC-Dementia consortium). “With a background in social work, psychology and interdisciplinary research on human-machine interaction, I look forward to contributing a different skill-set to ICC-Dementia to gain insights into healthy ageing and dementia in centenarian populations,” said Ms Leung. ICC-Dementia combines… Read More
17 Sep 2015

'Meet our Researcher' - Catriona Daly

KATE CROSBIE and HEIDI DOUGLASS | h.douglass@unsw.edu.au One of the most exciting things about being involved with The Dementia Momentum® initiative is its focus on real world application, according to Ms Catriona Daly, the new co-ordinator of the International Centenarian Consortium of Dementia (ICC-Dementia) at the Centre for Healthy Brain Ageing (CHeBA). “One of CHeBA’s strengths lies in its strong social justice focus. It is not just about getting research papers published, it’s about improving people’s lives and helping them overcome or cope with real problems of ageing by… Read More

Living to 100

CHeBA Blog: Living to 100
Pictured L-R: Professor Robyn Richmond, Major Cyril Bunny (at 98 years old), Professor Perminder Sachdev AM, Margaret Sommerville (at 99 years old) and Dr Charlene Levitan
DR CHARLENE LEVITAN Centenarians are the fastest growing age worldwide. We can learn about ageing by studying the extremes, especially those who are models of "successful ageing". So how do we live to 100 in good physical and mental health? Approximately 30% of longevity is contributed to be our genes. Parents of centenarians live an average age of 10 years longer than the average life expectancy of the population. Centenarians are four times more likely to have a sibling in their early nineties. The remaining 70% of ingredients relate to the our life style. Montefiore participants in the… Read More

Staying Connected Online is a No Brainer

HEIDI DOUGLASS | h.douglass@unsw.edu.au This article was originally published in Simply Connected on the Tapestry website.  Can staying connected with your friends online keep your brain young? Research indicates that social activity, in combination with a healthy lifestyle and brain training, actually restores and improves brain function. In many countries we are ageing at an astonishing rate. For example, in the US, the number of individuals aged 90 years and over is predicted to increase from the current 2 million to more than 8 million by 2050. Centenarians (those that attain the age… Read More
15 Apr 2013

Why Do Women Live Longer Than Men?

HEIDI DOUGLASS | h.douglass@unsw.edu.au Yes, it’s true.  Women live longer than men.  In fact not only does evidence suggest that we females have always outlived the blokes, it appears that as more time passes the gap is increasing.  Currently Australian women can expect to live, on average, 5 years longer than our male counterparts, which is the same for most developed nations of the world.  Why is this so? No-one knows for sure, but there are a number of theories.  According to CHeBA’s Co-Director Professor Perminder Sachdev, the first thing that people will say about this topic is that… Read More