Secrets of super-agers
From Harvard Thinking by Harvard University
April 15, 2026 · 30 min · Season 1 · Episode 26
About this episode
This episode explores the phenomenon of super-agers and the secrets to maintaining cognitive sharpness into older age.
It’s common for our brains and bodies to atrophy with age. But some adults, those known as super-agers, have shown that we may be able to keep the sharpness of someone decades younger, even matching the cognitive abilities of a person in their 20s. In this episode, host Samantha Laine Perfas talks with biologist Will Mair, neurologist Alexandra Touroutoglou, and geriatric doctor Suzanne Salamon about what we’ve learned about super-agers and the secrets that may help us all extend and enrich our later years.
People in this episode
Host: Samantha Laine Perfas
Guests: Will Mair, Alexandra Touroutoglou, Suzanne Salamon
Topics covered
- aging
- cognition
- health
- neuroscience
- super-agers
Keywords
- super-agers
- cognitive abilities
- aging
- brain health
- neurology
More episodes of Harvard Thinking
- Breaking the regret cycle · May 13, 2026 · 30 min
- Why we love dogs— and they love us back · April 29, 2026 · 28 min
- Priced out of the American dream · April 1, 2026 · 34 min
- The things we carry · March 18, 2026 · 33 min
- Is marriage worth saving? · March 4, 2026 · 31 min
- Preserving learning in the age of AI shortcuts · February 18, 2026 · 28 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Harvard Thinking podcast page.