Aging Reimagined

Aging
Reimagined

Americans are not just getting old—they’re also getting older. Take Millie Flashman. She was born in 1922. Graduated from Boston University in 1943. And she’s happy to tell you all about it. Flashman might have been a novelty once, but not anymore. A hundred years ago, one in 20 people in the United States were over the age of 65. Today, it’s one in six.

BU is at the forefront of research into understanding how and why we are living longer, healthier lives than during any previous time, exploring the impact on families, the healthcare system, and the economy. For example, the University is home to the world’s largest study of centenarians, where medical experts and geneticists like Thomas T. Perls are studying super agers. Over at the Boston University Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center, they’re focused on finding better treatment and achieving earlier diagnosis of dementia—and perhaps even a cure. Across BU, economists, sociologists, social workers, and neurologists are analyzing effective retirement saving and how to ensure everyone has an equal shot at a well-funded, healthy older age.

There’s one common goal to all of this work: help all of us live life to the fullest—for as long as possible.

In this series

  • Photo: an up-close portrait of a centenarian wearing glasses and a sweater. Photo is black and white

    Part 1 The Secrets of Living to 100

    BU’s New England Centenarian Study delves into the lives of superagers to better understand why some people make it to their centennial—and to maybe help the rest of us do the same

    Read More

  • Illustration of dozens of different people's faces, slowly aging and becoming more bright/vibrant in color

    Part 2 Rethinking Our Idea of “Old Age”

    With baby boomers hitting their golden years, older adults are everywhere—including reality TV’s The Golden Bachelor. Here’s what we all need to know about our aging society

    Read More

  • Photo: This image shows microglia and astrocytes, components of our brain's immune system, in the heat of battle against those beta-amyloid protein plaques, the drivers of the concatenation of events presented above. Being able to study them at this level of detail will allow us to better understand the pathology and, hopefully in the near future, to develop effective therapies against the origin of the disease. Image taken with reflection confocal and/or scanning spectral fluorescence microscope LEICA Stellaris 8. Objective: HCX PL APO 63x/1.30 Glyc W.D. 0.30 mm. Composite made from 43 Z-planes with LASX 3D software and post-processed with FIJI.

    Part 3 Can We Find a Cure for Alzheimer’s Disease?

    BU researchers are taking on this daunting question through a variety of approaches—and studying how to care for a growing population of people with the disease

    Read More

  • Photo: An older man with a beard sits at a table in front of a broken piggy bank. There are coins all over the table.

    Part 4 How to Save for Retirement—and Why Most of Us Haven’t (or Can’t) Save Enough

    Whether it’s because of a broken Social Security benefits system, pervasive economic inequality, or poor retirement advice, not everyone’s later years will be so golden

    Read More

  • Photo: Two stacks of coins, one large and one small. Depicts wealth inequality

    Part 5 The Ingredients of Unequal Aging: Housing, Income, and Health

    How a lifetime of poverty and discrimination lead to unequal aging, and what will help us take care of the most vulnerable

    Read More

  • Photo: An older black man wearing goggles and a swim cap poses for a portrait in a pool

    Part 6 Their Second Acts

    In their encore careers and ongoing hobbies, these six BU alums are following their passions

    Read More

  • Composite image of a piggy bank, alarm clock, head with gears inside, weights for exercise, alcohol and cigarettes, and a healthy meal. The boxes are separated by white lines.

    Part 7 10 Things to Do in Your 20s to Help Ensure You’ll Enjoy Your 80s

    Tips to help you age well and live your happiest, healthiest life for years to come, courtesy of BU experts and researchers

    Read More

View All Series