How to Stay Sharper Longer: The New Science of Brain Aging and Dementia Prevention

Dr. Christin Glorioso, CEO and Co-founder of NeuroAge Therapeutics

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Imagine being able to track your brain health before serious decline sets in, understand your personal risk factors, and intervene early enough to help prevent dementia rather than simply react to it.

In this episode of The TechEd Podcast, Matt Kirchner talks with Christin Glorioso, MD, PhD, founder and CEO of NeuroAge Therapeutics, about one of the most intriguing frontiers in health and longevity right now: whether brain aging can actually be measured, influenced, and in some cases pushed back. If you’ve paid attention to the rise of biohacking, brain games, cognitive optimization, or the broader longevity movement, this conversation gets underneath the trend and into the science.

Glorioso explains how brain MRI, cognitive testing, blood biomarkers, genetics, and AI can be used together to create a more individualized view of brain health. More broadly, the conversation shows how brain health is starting to shift from late-stage treatment toward earlier measurement, prevention, and ongoing optimization.

In this episode:

Why one of the biggest assumptions in dementia research may have been wrong for years
The 65% number that could completely change how you think about Alzheimer’s risk
Why brain aging starts earlier than almost anyone realizes, and what that means for prevention
Whether you can actually make your brain younger, not just protect it from decline
The 9 daily factors that may matter more than any miracle supplement or trend
How AI is enabling faster research and more personalized intervention
A roadmap for accessible tests + personalized recommendations for a healthier brain

3 Big Takeaways from this Episode:

1. Dementia is not one disease, and treating it like one has held the field back. Glorioso argues that Alzheimer’s has been approached too narrowly for too long, with the pharmaceutical industry spending decades focused almost entirely on amyloid. Her point is bigger than one protein: brain decline is multifactorial, which means future progress will depend on earlier diagnosis and more personalized intervention.

2. Brain aging starts earlier than most people realize, but it is not a fixed downhill slide. In the episode, Glorioso says measurable shrinkage in the hippocampus begins in the mid-20s and accelerates with age. She also points to evidence that targeted exercise can increase volume in that same brain region, making the conversation far more hopeful than most people expect.

3. You're more in control of your brain health than you may realize. Glorioso cites research suggesting that up to 65% of Alzheimer’s cases may be preventable through lifestyle interventions, then grounds that claim in concrete areas like exercise, sleep, stress, diet, metabolic health, and social connection. That turns brain health from an abstract fear into something people can measure, manage, and improve over time.

Resources in this Episode:

NeuroAge Therapeutics

Follow Christin on Substack

Other resources: