There is a particular kind of authority that comes only from having been inside something for fifty years — from having seen it at its best, trained its practitioners, published its science, and then watched it hollow itself out from within. Dr. Peter Kowey has that authority. He holds the William Wickoff Smith Chair in Cardiovascular Research at the Lankenau Institute for Medical Research, is a professor of medicine and clinical pharmacology at Thomas Jefferson University, and spent years as...

Episode Title: Becoming Martian: What Space Will Do to the Human Body, Mind, and Species Runtime: ~55 minutes Episode Summary What happens to us — biologically, genetically, evolutionarily — if humans actually go live on Mars? Not visit. Live. Dr. Scott Solomon, evolutionary biologist and teaching professor at Rice University, has spent years following that question to its surprisingly unsettling conclusions. His new book, Becoming Martian (MIT Press), argues that the most profound c...

You Can't Retire From Purpose Dr. Alan Rozanski on the Six Domains of Health and What It Really Means to Age Well In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Alan Rozanski — cardiologist, lifestyle medicine physician, professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, and a founding pioneer of behavioral cardiology. With nearly 300 published articles, Dr. Rozanski has spent 40 years studying how our physical and mental behaviors shape heart health. What We Cover The Aha Moment. Forty years ago,...

The Digital Workout: Why Your Smartphone is a Shield Against Dementia In this episode of Specifically for Seniors, Dr. Larry Barsh sits down with Dr. Michael Scullin, a Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Baylor University, to tackle a common frustration among the "Digital Pioneer" generation: the steep learning curve of modern technology. While many seniors feel tempted to set their smartphones aside out of frustration, Dr. Scullin’s research suggests that the "headache" of learning a...

In this episode of Specifically for Seniors, Dr. Larry Barsh welcomes David Cravit and Larry Wolf, co-authors of Super Aging: Getting Older without Getting Old and the Super Aging Workbook. Together they explore how aging can be reframed as a stage of opportunity rather than decline. Drawing on decades of experience in advertising, branding, and consumer trends, they describe how the concept of “super aging” challenges stereotypes and offers a positive, purposeful approach to later life. Cravit ...

I don’t usually invite a sponsor on to a podcast, but today I’m going to do just that because I think it's important for you to hear what my guest has to say about his product. Regular listeners to Specifically for Seniors realize that I have accepted a sponsor for the podcast and, hopefully, it will help keep us on the air. I’ve held off because I wanted to make sure that any product or service that we recommended was validated by clinical research. Memory Lane TV was that product. I know man...

With the appointment of Robert F Kennedy, Jr. as Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Trump administration has systematically targeted the next generation of scientists and public health leaders. He has cut science funding to its lowest level in decades. More than 20,000 jobs were eliminated, billions of dollars in scientific research has been threatened or paused, and a budget draft proposes a major restructuring of Health and Human Services. The Trump administration has asked Federal a...

We’re going to take a break from politics and the voices of older adults on today’s podcast and talk with the younger generation that keeps us inspired.I was recently introduced to a compelling new voice in filmmaking, a bold young screenwriter and director whose creative vision and storytelling instincts mark him as one to watch. At this year’s NYC Short Film Showcase at New Plaza Cinema, audiences were treated to a standout debut from the rising young screenwriter and director behind the shar...

A recent space tourism flight on the Blue Origin capsule featuring an all-female crew including Katy Perry and Gayle King sparked some controversy over whether it was a publicity stunt to promote Jeff Bezos’ space tourism business or whether it had some scientific purpose. We were curious about humans’ venture into space, so we called on the go-to-expert on all things space flight Dr. Jonathan McDowell. Dr. McDowell is an astrophysicist on the Chandra X-ray Center team at the Center for Astrophy...

This podcast was recorded during the part of the year in which the holiest of Jewish holidays takes place. It seemed appropriate to take some time to remember those of us who were lost during the Holocaust, but a part of the Holocaust many of us know little about, This podcast contains a film by John Pollick: (From the film's web page - https://www,beyondbabiyarmovie.com) "Babi Yar, or Babyn Yar, is a ravine in Kyiv, Ukraine. On September 29th and 30th, 1941, Nazis forced 33,771 Jews into it a...

We all get them - those momentary lapses when we can't recall someone's name, why we came into a room or where we left the car keys. We call them senior moments, but are these moments inevitable or limited to seniors? We'll learn more about these senior moments and how to work through them with our guest this week on Specifically for Seniors, Dr Stan Goldberg. Dr. Stan Goldberg is an expert in the areas of aging, human information processing, change, loss, and end-of-life issues. He is a Profes...

My guests today on Specifically for Seniors caught my attention in an Opinion piece in the Washington Post. Professors Ben Katz and Pamela Teaster urged “an objective, scientific conversation about mental and physiological aging - both for our leaders and for the rapidly aging populations around the world” realizing that these conversations are both difficult and obligatory. We’re going to try to at least open that conversation here on Specifically for Seniors, today. Both Ben Katz and Pamela ...

On today's podcast, it is my distinct honor to introduce MT Connolly to those of you who have never had the privilege of meeting her. M.T. Connolly is a leading national expert on elder justice and a MacArthur “genius” grant awardee. In issuing the award, the foundation said Connolly has “ devoted her career to laying bare the many forms of elder abuse: physical and psychological, as well as financial exploitation and wrongful deprivation of rights.” MT is the author of the 2023 book, The Meas...

Our guest today on Specifically for Seniors, Dr. Rosanne Leipzig is internationally recognized in the field of geriatrics. Dr Leipzig is the Gerald and May Ellen Ritter Professor and Vice Chair, Emerita of the Brookdale Department of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. Dr. Leipzig’s latest book, Honest Aging: An Insider’s Guide to the Second Half of Life, describes what to expect physically, psychologically, functionally, and emotio...

Are you looking for ways to improve your brain health and cognition? Look no further than the latest episode of "Specifically for Seniors" podcast, where Dr. Jennifer Brinckerhoff and Jodi Bornstein discuss the link between quality sleep and brain function. From the importance of deep sleep to tips for improving sleep habits, this episode is a must-listen for anyone looking to boost their brainpower. Jennifer Brinckerhoff, M.D. is medical director at Orchard Cove's Wellness Center. Dr. Brincker...

Priscilla Long is a Seattle based writer of science, poetry, creative non-fiction, fiction and history and a longtime independent teacher of writing. Her awards include a National Magazine Award, ten of her essays have been honored as “notable” in various editions of the Best American Essays. She wrote a science column for The American Scholar online. Priscilla has an MFA from the University of Washington and grew up on a dairy farm on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, USA. Priscila's book, Dancin...

This is the fourth episode in Specifically for Seniors podcasts in conjunction with Hebrew Senior Life and Orchard Cove's kseries on cognitive fitness, In the first episode we spoke with Dr. Alvaro Pascual-Leone on Brain Health and Cognitive Fitness. In the second episode of the series, we reviewed the relationship of physical exercise and brain health, in the third we discussed challenging your brain and learning new things. John Ralston has been the Director of Culinary Services at Orchard Co...

This is the third episode in Specifically for Seniors podcasts in conjunction with Hebrew Senior Life and Orchard Cove's series on cognitive fitness. In the first episode, we spoke with Dr. Alvaro Pascual-Leone on Brain Health and Cognitive Fitness, in the second episode of the series, we reviewed the relationship of physical exercise and brain health with Tim Parke and Chris Young. In this episode, Specificaly for Senors wecomes Jodi Bornstein and Melissa Day for a discussion on challenging yo...

The number of Americans over the age of 65 is projected to more than double in the next forty years, increasing from 40.2 million in 2010 to 88.5 million in 2050. As many of us. know from personal experience, we start to have problems remembering names or where our car keys are or whether we took our morning pills. Specifically for Seniors in conjunction with a program instituted by Hebrew Senior Life and the residents of Orchard Cove, a senior living facility near Boston has embarked on a seri...

This episode's guest on Specifically for Seniors is Dr. Alvaro Pascual-Leone, Medical DIrector of Hebrew Senior Life's Wolk Center for Memory Health and co-author of "A Guide to Cogntive Fitness." This podcast introduces a series of six additional podcasts throughout the year that discuss ways to maintain our cognitive health. Correction: In our introduction on the podcast we mistakenly minimized the number of published articles and patents attributed to Dr. Pascual-Leone. He has authored over ...

This is the story of three remarkable women - a 79 year old champion weight lifter and body builder, an 88 year old holder of the Guinness Book of World Records for the oldest working female comedian and a 103 year old blue ribbon prize winnng baker. Each woman has a different story to tell but each will serve as an inspiration and will share their secrets for a long, health and active life. So sit back, relax, and get ready to be inspired by the wisdom and resilience of these incredible women. ...

Whether you are an older adult looking to stay active and independent or simply interested in learning more about balance, mobilty and fall prevention, this is the podcast for you. Dr. Rose discusses the importance of fall prevention and balance assessment and training as part of a broader overall fitness regime. She has developed a program that provides a multidimensional approach to the assessment and treatment of balance-related problems called the Fallproof Balance and mobility Program. And ...

Andrew Budson, MD and Elizabeth Kensinger, PhD are the Authors of the newly published book "Why We Forget and How To Remember Better: The Science Behind Memory". In easy-to-understand layman's terms, the doctors discuss how we create and store memories and why we forget things. We discuss normal age-related forgetfulness and how to distinguish between that and forgetfulness associated with diseases like Alzheimer's and that associatd with various medications. They offer simple suggestions on how...

Natalie Dattilo, PhD is a clinical psychologist who treats patients with depression. Her treatment approach is based on wellness science. We chat about mental health in general and specifically about the importance of playfulness and laughter in our daily lives. Natlie and I discuss the scientific effects of laughter both spontaneous and self-initiated laughing and why we older adults should dismiss the ageist trope "We must act our age" and include play in our daily routines.