Older adults now outnumber children in Canada and that gap will continue to grow.
All of our memories, the record of our lives, the skills and knowledge we have acquired over a lifetime, are wound up in the brain’s cells, synapses, connections and tissues. A healthy brain is capable of regeneration, adaptation and learning. In the best circumstances, this remains true decades after the appearance of the first strand of gray hair. However, just like the heart, lungs and gut, the brain needs a healthy environment to thrive.
Scientists at the Rotman Research Institute (RRI) investigate not just how the brain changes with age, but also how it evolves and adapts to best preserve its core functions. One of our major goals is to understand how we can optimize our lives to create the best possible conditions for the brain to thrive as it ages. To that end, we study how things such as music, art, physical activity, environment and more can help to maintain brain function as we get older. We also study the anatomy and function of the brain itself to see which parts are most susceptible to aging.