Events

Extreme heat is an increasingly common environmental stressor, yet its implications for brain aging remain poorly understood. In this seminar, Dr. Choi will present a program of research examining how outdoor heat exposure may contribute to brain health in later life. Drawing on nationally representative longitudinal data from older U.S. adults, Dr. Choi will discuss findings across multiple stages of the brain-aging continuum, from changes in cognitive function and incident dementia to blood-based biomarkers of neurodegeneration and Alzheimer’s disease-related pathology. Dr. Choi will also highlight potential sources of heterogeneity in vulnerability. Together, these studies illustrate how environmental exposures can be integrated into research on the biological and social determinants of brain aging and point to emerging questions about the implications of more frequent hot days for population aging. 

Eun Young Choi, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work at Arizona State University. A gerontologist by training, she studies how the places we live shape how we age and why some populations face greater risks than others. Her work connects social and biological perspectives to examine how environmental stressors may influence brain health and dementia risk. Her research program has been supported by the National Institute on Aging and the Alzheimer’s Association. Her work has been featured by major news outlets, including The New York Times and NPR. She earned her PhD in Gerontology from the University of Southern California and completed postdoctoral training at New York University’s School of Global Public Health and the USC/UCLA Center on Biodemography and Population Health.