Fragile Science

The Stories We Tell

At The Age of Aging, we know that the stories we tell about dementia shape the perceptions, resources, and, ultimately, the lived experience of people with the condition. As such, it is our number one priority to understand what narratives serve an aging population and which ones are better left in the past.   For the Season 5 finale, our team reflects on a special report from Hastings Center for Bioethics, Living with Dementia: Learning from Cultural Narratives of Aging Societies. Through a series of personal audio essays, some familiar voices from this season explore how cultural narratives influence the lived experience of dementia—and how new stories might help us build a more compassionate, creative, and supportive future.  Inside this episode:  4:21 – Managing Dependence: Dr. Jason Karlawish discusses Mercer Gary's essay on assistive technologies in dementia care. He explores the tension between fears of technological dependence and hopes that technology can eliminate dependence altogether.  11:47 – Creativity, Collaboration, and Dementia: Terrence Casey, editorial director and co-host of The Age of Aging, reflects on Julia Henderson's essay examining participatory arts programs and how projects like Anne Basting's Penelope Project challenge conventional narratives about dementia.  16:19 – Learning from History: Dr. Emily Largent discusses Jesse Ballenger's essay on the history of dementia. She explores how modern anxieties about cognitive decline are shaped by changing ideas about identity, aging, and selfhood.  20:15 – New Narratives for a More Just Future: Producer and Co-Host Jake Johnson examines how cultural narratives influence dementia care and why imagining ourselves into the lives of people living with dementia and caregivers is essential to meaningful social change.  25:34 – Rethinking Housing and Care: Dr. Holly Elser discusses supportive housing as a promising model for people living with dementia, offering an alternative to the traditional divide between aging in place and institutional care.  28:14 – Season 5 Reflections: Dr. Jason Karlawish, Jake Johnson, and Terrence Casey discuss their favorite episodes from the season, lessons learned from reporting on aging and dementia, and what listeners can expect this summer and in Season 6.  Resources available on the episode webpage linked below  * Use offer code “AGING” to get 50% off your copy of Dementia Care’s Radical New Era [https://reports.statnews.com/products/dementia-cares-radical-new-era?variant=43785073393767]  * Read the essays featured in the special report, Living with Dementia: Learning from Cultural Narratives of Aging Societies [https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/toc/1552146x/2025/55/S1?msockid=2e0d43ac2816651b0cc3550329d7647b] from the Hastings Center for Bioethics [https://www.thehastingscenter.org/]  * Read the Pope Leo’s Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence  * Learn more about Anne Basting’s Penelope Project [https://uipress.uiowa.edu/books/penelope-project]  * Explore Penn Memory Center creative engagement programs [https://pennmemorycenter.org/programs-services/]  Special thanks this episode to Jason Karlawish, MD, Emily Largent, PhD, JD, RN, Jake Johnson, and Holly Elser, MD, PhD, MPH.  The Age of Aging is a Penn Memory Center production, hosted by Editorial Director Terrence Casey and Producer Jake Johnson. Contributors include Dalia El Said, Jason Karlawish, Emily Largent, Alison Lynnn, and Morgann Adams.  The show is made possible by generous support from the Michael Naidoff Communications Hub Fund and Lena Chao.  Caring for an aging loved one isn’t easy — but you don’t have to do it alone. At Rothkoff Law Group, families across New Jersey and Pennsylvania receive guidance through every stage of the aging journey. Their team of elder care attorneys, geriatric care coordinators, care coordinators, and public benefits specialists advocate for your loved one’s well-being and your peace of mind.  Rothkoff Law Group — your partner in elder care advocacy and senior care planning every step of the way. Visit RothkoffLaw.com for more information.

Polluted Minds

The air around us is invisible, but its effects on the brain are becoming harder to ignore. Research now links long-term exposure to air pollution with increased Alzheimer's pathology, cognitive decline, and greater dementia risk, and older adults face the greatest threat.  On this episode of The Age of Aging, we go inside that science. Dr. Eddie Lee shares new findings from the University of Pennsylvania connecting lifetime particulate matter exposure to amyloid and tau buildup in the brain. Toxicologists, lung health experts, and clean air advocates explain what air pollution actually is, why Philadelphia's air quality ranks among the most concerning of major American cities, and what individuals and communities can do to protect themselves. And Dr. Holly Elser joins host Terrence Casey to explore the broader relationship between environment, place, and brain health — and why the fight for clean air is also a fight for healthy aging.   Inside this episode:  5:45 – Air Pollution and Alzheimer’s Disease: Dr. Eddie Lee explains how his team linked lifetime exposure to particulate air pollution with increased amyloid and tau pathology in the brain.  9:27 – What Is Air Pollution?: Dr. Trevor Penning and Bev Stewart break down the science of particulate matter, ozone, and toxic gases, and explain why older adults are particularly susceptible to their harmful effects.  13:06 – Philly’s Air Quality: Clean Air Council advocate Russell Zerbo discusses the biggest contributors to air pollution in Philadelphia, including transportation, industry, and urban density, and what local efforts are underway to improve air quality.  15:01 – Protecting Yourself: Experts share practical steps individuals can take to reduce exposure to poor air quality, from tracking the Air Quality Index and wearing N95 masks to improving indoor air filtration.  22:08 – Environment and Brain Health: Dr. Holly Elser joins Terrence Casey to discuss the emerging science connecting environmental exposures and dementia risk, the importance of policy solutions, and how climate and place shape healthy aging.    Resources available on the episode webpage linked below  * Use offer code “AGING” to get 50% off your copy of Dementia Care’s Radical New Era [https://reports.statnews.com/products/dementia-cares-radical-new-era?variant=43785073393767]  * Read Dr. Lee’s full study [https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/article-abstract/2838665]  * Learn more about the Center of Excellence in Environmental Toxicology [https://ceet.upenn.edu/]  * Visit the American Lung Association’s website [https://www.lung.org/]  * Learn more about the Clean Air Council [https://cleanair.org/]  * Check out Clean Air Council’s crowdsourced air quality map [https://map.purpleair.com/air-quality-standards-us-epa-aqi?opt=%2F1%2Flp%2Fa10%2Fp604800%2FcC0#3.7/35.2/-70.69]  * Learn more about the “Stop Trashing Our Air Act” in Philadelphia City Council [https://phlcouncil.com/stop-trashing-our-air/]   * Track local air quality with AirNow.gov [https://www.airnow.gov/]  * Explore Philadelphia’s air quality monitoring network [https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/35a3b9706b2946ba937a33de049ffae5]    Special thanks this episode to Eddie Lee, MD, PhD, Trevor Penning, PhD, Russell Zerbo, Bev Stewart, and Holly Elser, MD, PhD, MPH.  The Age of Aging is a Penn Memory Center production, hosted by Editorial Director Terrence Casey and Producer Jake Johnson, in partnership with the Penn FTD Center, the Penn Institute on Aging, and Penn’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. Contributors include Dalia Elsaid, Jason Karlawish, Emily Largent, and Alison Lynn.  The show is made possible by generous support from the Michael Naidoff Communications Hub Fund and Lena Chow  Caring for an aging loved one isn’t easy — but you don’t have to do it alone. At Rothkoff Law Group, families across New Jersey and Pennsylvania receive guidance through every stage of the aging journey. Their team of elder care attorneys, geriatric care coordinators, and public benefits specialists advocate for your loved one’s well-being and your peace of mind.  Rothkoff Law Group — your partner in elder care advocacy and senior care planning every step of the way. Visit RothkoffLaw.com for more information.    At the Salvation Army Ray and Joan Kroc Center in Philadelphia, our Golden Gems Senior Program offers a welcoming space for older adults to stay active, connected, and inspired. We meet every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for uplifting devotions, engaging activities, educational workshops and a shared lunch. Members also enjoy occasional outings and special trips throughout the year. For just $18 a month, participants gain access to a vibrant community focused on wellness, friendship and purpose. To learn more or join us, visit the Kroc Center and become part of our Golden Gems family.

WHealthcare

A longer lifespan is one of humanity’s greatest achievements. It also raises urgent questions about caregiving, financial security, and how we prepare for life after 65. On this episode of The Age of Aging, we take a look at the financial challenges that come with living longer.  First, Terrence Casey moderates a wide-ranging conversation with Surya Kolluri of the TIAA Institute and Dr. Mary Naylor of Penn Nursing’s NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health about the financial realities of longevity in America. Later in the episode, financial experts Bode Hennegan and Christine Moriarty share practical strategies for planning ahead, avoiding common financial mistakes, and building long-term stability.  Inside this episode:   3:15 – A Different Life Structure: Surya Kolluri and Mary Naylor discuss the financial implications of an extended lifespan and why it will require fundamental changes on individual and societal level.  18:17 – The Sandwich Generation: Kolluri and Dr. Naylor Examine the growing pressures facing adults caring for both children and aging parents, and the policies needed to support them.  29:32 – 5 Financial Pitfalls: Bode Hennegan shares her top 5 most common pitfalls she sees older adults make when planning for later life.  35:24 – Money Peace: Christine Moriarty gives her top 5 financial planning tips for older adults.  41:24 – Start Saving and Communicating: Terrence Casey and Jake Johnson wrap up the episode by sharing the statistics that stayed with them most, and the changes they plan to make in their own lives.     Resources available on the episode webpage linked below  * Visit the TIAA Institute’s [https://www.tiaa.org/public/institute] website  * Visit the NewCourtland Center for Transitions and Health’s [https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/ncth/] website  * More information on Surya Kolluri [https://www.tiaa.org/public/institute/about/people/surya-p-kolluri]  * More information on Mary Naylor [https://www.nursing.upenn.edu/live/profiles/52-mary-naylor]   * Learn more about Life Managers and Associates [https://life-managers.com/]  * Learn more about Money Peace [https://www.moneypeace.com/about]    Special thanks this episode to Surya Kolluri, Mary D. Naylor, PhD, RN, FAAN, Bode Hennegan, and Christine Moriarty  The Age of Aging is a Penn Memory Center production, hosted by Editorial Director Terrence Casey and Producer Jake Johnson, in partnership with the Penn FTD Center, the Penn Institute on Aging, and Penn’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. Contributors include Dalia Elsaid, Jason Karlawish, Emily Largent, and Alison Lynn.  The show is made possible by generous support from the Michael Naidoff Communications Hub Fund.  Caring for an aging loved one isn’t easy — but you don’t have to do it alone. At Rothkoff Law Group, families across New Jersey and Pennsylvania receive guidance through every stage of the aging journey. Their team of elder care attorneys, geriatric care coordinators, and public benefits specialists advocate for your loved one’s well-being and your peace of mind.  Rothkoff Law Group — your partner in elder care advocacy and senior care planning every step of the way. Visit RothkoffLaw.com for more information.

Fragile Science

The history of dementia research is a story of scientific progress stalled and derailed for nearly a century. 120 years ago, psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer made a groundbreaking discovery in the brain of a 55-year-old woman named Auguste Deter. Unfortunately, social and political turmoil would mean that his findings would not be widely understood until the end of the 20th century.   On this episode of The Age of Aging, Terrence Casey and Dr. Jason Karlawish reflect on Alzheimer’s discovery as well as the work of his colleague Oskar Fischer — a scientist on par with if not more consequential than Alzheimer in understanding the neuropathology of dementia — whose work was cut short by antisemitism and Nazi persecution. Together, they uncover how that finding was almost swallowed by the ideologies, politics, and global conflicts of the early 20th century — and the uncomfortable parallels between that time and our current moment.  Inside this episode:   0:48 – The First Case: Terrence Casey introduces the story of Auguste Deter, whose 1901 admission to a Frankfurt asylum would become the foundation of modern Alzheimer’s research.  4:34 – A Disease Without a Name: Why Deter’s symptoms didn’t fit existing diagnoses and how Alzheimer’s early observations challenged assumptions about aging and “senility.”  13:27 – A Revolutionary Idea: In 1911, Alzheimer proposed that “senile” and “presenile” dementia might be the same disease.  17:31 – Science Interrupted: How World War I, economic collapse, and political upheaval derailed progress in dementia research across Europe.  19:10 – The Forgotten Pioneer: How the contributions of Oskar Fischer to dementia research were nearly erased by antisemitism and Nazi persecution.  23:01 – The “Dark Ages” of Dementia: Why much of the 20th century viewed dementia as inevitable aging rather than disease.  30:48 – Lessons for Today: Why scientific progress depends on social, political, and economic stability — and what current global trends could mean for the future of dementia research.  32:41 – Rediscovery and Progress: The late 20th-century revival of Alzheimer’s research, including advances in diagnosis, biomarkers, and treatment.    Resources available on the episode webpage linked below  * Learn more about the life and work of Alois Alzheimer [https://www.alzint.org/about/dementia-facts-figures/types-of-dementia/alzheimers-disease/alois-alzheimer/]   * More information on the story of Alzheimer and Auguste Deter [https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/dr-alzheimer-patient-helped-reveal-devastating-disease] (PBS)  * Read The Problem of Alzheimer's: How Science, Culture, and Politics Turned a Rare Disease into a Crisis and What We Can Do About It [https://www.amazon.com/Problem-Alzheimers-Science-Culture-Politics/dp/125021873X] by Dr. Jason Karlawish  * “Oskar Fischer and the study of dementia,” [https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2668940/] by Michel Goedert (National Library of Medicine)     Special thanks this episode to Jason Karlawish, MD.  The Age of Aging is a Penn Memory Center production, hosted by Editorial Director Terrence Casey and Producer Jake Johnson, in partnership with the Penn FTD Center, the Penn Institute on Aging, and Penn’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. Contributors include Dalia Elsaid, Jason Karlawish, Emily Largent, and Alison Lynn.  The show is made possible by generous support from the Michael Naidoff Communications Hub Fund.  Caring for an aging loved one isn’t easy — but you don’t have to do it alone. At Rothkoff Law Group, families across New Jersey and Pennsylvania receive guidance through every stage of the aging journey. Their team of elder care attorneys, geriatric care coordinators, and public benefits specialists advocate for your loved one’s well-being and your peace of mind.  Rothkoff Law Group — your partner in elder care advocacy and senior care planning every step of the way. Visit RothkoffLaw.com for more information.   Opera Philadelphia presents Viva Verdi!, a documentary that takes audiences inside a retirement community. Built by composer Giuseppe Verdi for musicians in their later years, the film follows opera singers, instrumentalists, and conductors as they continue to perform, mentor, and create, proving that passion doesn't fade with age. A screening will be held at 1:00 PM on May 15th at the Athenaeum of Philadelphia followed by a panel discussion on creative aging featuring Penn Memory Center co-director Dr. Jason Karlawish. Details at operaphila.org. [https://operaphila.org/]  Opera Philadelphia promotional music – “Requiem,” by Giuseppe Verdi.

Sprechstimme

What does it mean to age well? For soprano Lucy Shelton, the answer may lie in music itself. At 82, Shelton recently made her debut at the Metropolitan Opera — performing in the world premiere of Innocence, a Finnish opera about a school shooting, sung in nine languages. On this episode of The Age of Aging, Dr. Jason Karlawish sits down with Shelton to explore her remarkable career, the relationship between music and the aging mind, and what it means to keep creating — and performing — well into the eighth decade of life.   Inside this episode:  * 0:00 – Shepherd on the Rock: Dr. Karlawish introduces Lucy Shelton with her recording of "Shepherd on the Rock" by Franz Schubert and shares why he wanted to interview her.  * 4:17 – Met Opera Debut at 82: Shelton and Dr. Karlawish discuss her debut at the Metropolitan Opera in Innocence, a Finnish opera performed in nine languages.  * 9:08 – A Musical Life: Shelton reflects on growing up in a musical family, discovering her voice, and building a career as a singer — not an opera singer.  * 15:23 – Singer vs. Opera Singer: Shelton explains what sets her apart from traditional opera singers, including the vocal techniques that have allowed her to keep performing into her eighties.  * 20:56 – Art Meets Life in Lucidity: Shelton describes performing Lucidity, a chamber opera written for her about a singer living with dementia — and what it meant to hold her score on stage, not just as a prop, but out of personal necessity.  * 26:34 – Bringing Lucidity to Philadelphia: Dr. Karlawish and Shelton discuss the possibility of bringing the opera to Philadelphia.  * 27:26– Music, Memory, and the Mind: Dr. Karlawish and Terrence Casey explore the connection between music and the aging brain, including PMC's partnership in the Community Voices Choir — a collaboration welcoming adults of all levels of cognition through music.  Resources available on the episode webpage linked below  * Review of “Innocence,” in The Wall Street Journal [https://www.wsj.com/arts-culture/theater/innocence-review-an-attacks-aftermath-at-the-metropolitan-opera-85656a33?mod=Searchresults&pos=1&page=1]   * The New York Times Review of “Innocence.” [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/arts/music/innocence-met-opera-review.html?searchResultPosition=3]  * More information on “Innocence.” [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/16/arts/music/innocence-saariaho-met-opera.html?searchResultPosition=1] (The New York Times)  * Visit Lucy Shelton’s website [https://www.lucyshelton.com/biography]  * Learn more about Shelton’s previous opera, “Lucidity.” [https://www.npr.org/2024/11/14/nx-s1-5147421/opera-memory-loss-lucidity-lucy-shelton-laura-kaminsky] (NPR)  * Learn more about sprechstimme [https://www.britannica.com/art/Sprechstimme] (Britannica)  * More information on the Community Voices Choir [https://www.operaphila.org/community/community-voices-choir/]  * What Is the Association Between Music-Related Leisure Activities and Dementia Risk? A Cohort Study [https://doi.org/10.1002/gps.70163] (International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry)  * Longitudinal effects of choir singing on aging cognition and wellbeing: a two-year follow-up study [https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2023.1174574] (Frontiers in Human Neuroscience)  Special thanks this episode to Jason Karlawish, MD, and Lucy Shelton.   The Age of Aging is a Penn Memory Center production hosted by Editorial Director Terrence Casey and Producer Jake Johnson, in partnership with the Penn FTD Center, the Penn Institute on Aging, and Penn’s Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. Contributors include Dalia Elsaid, Jason Karlawish, Emily Largent, and Alison Lynn.   The Age of Aging is made possible by generous support from the Michael Naidoff Communications Hub fund.  Caring for an aging loved one isn’t easy — but you don’t have to do it alone. At Rothkoff Law Group, we guide families across New Jersey and Pennsylvania through every stage of your aging journey. Our team of elder care attorneys, geriatric care coordinators, and public benefits specialists advocate for your loved one’s well-being and your peace of mind. Rothkoff Law Group — your partner in advocacy and senior care planning, every step of the way. Visit RothkoffLaw.com.    What if medicine could go beyond treating disease ... and actually rewrite it?  Join The Franklin Institute on Tuesday, April 28 for a live Conversation Lab exploring how gene therapies are transforming medicine and improving lives.  Featuring 2026 Franklin Institute Awards honoree and gene editing pioneer Dr. David Liu, this interactive discussion takes you inside how these treatments evolve from bench to bedside.  Use code CONVOLAB26 for 50% off tickets at fi.edu [https://fi.edu/en].