Gerontology podcasts

This Briefing Chat examines a tattoo ink that becomes visible under ultraviolet light and then fades, before discussing whether epigenetic changes and jumping genes help explain why larger dogs age more quickly.

Neurobiologist Tom Clandinin joins Nicholas Weiler to explore how interacting genetic, cellular and metabolic systems maintain brain health over a lifetime, and how their breakdown contributes to neurodegeneration. The discussion moves beyond single explanations such as inflammation or waste clearance to a systems-level study of brain resilience. Clandinin describes a collaborative programme combining large-scale genetic perturbations in flies and mice with molecular, circuit and behavioural measurements. Computational models will connect these observations across cell types, predict interactions and guide experiments toward potential ways to strengthen the aging brain’s maintenance systems.

Hosted by Nicholas Weiler

Carolyn Bertozzi explains why sugars on cell surfaces matter for communication between cells and how new chemical methods make these complex molecules accessible to research. The discussion connects this work to neuroscience, biological aging and drug development.

Hosted by Nicholas Weiler

An audio feature examining research on DNA damage, repair and ageing. The episode explores evidence that inadequate repair contributes to age-related biological changes, and scientific efforts to test whether improving repair can extend healthy life. Nature published this episode on 2 September 2026.

Nature staff discuss evidence from whales and mole rats suggesting that DNA repair may contribute to longevity, and how COVID-19 can reactivate dormant viruses.

Katharina Gensch discusses interviews with older adults attending English classes in Berlin. Participants respond differently to the spread of English, from welcoming international urban life to experiencing exclusion or ageism. The study examines language learning as a strategy for participating in changing neighbourhoods and the communicative demands of multilingual cities.

Hosted by Hanna Torsh

Nicholas Weiler and neurologist Katrin Andreasson discuss connections between inflammation, energy metabolism and Alzheimer's disease. Andreasson describes how aging can alter microglia and astrocytes, affecting the immune and metabolic support that neurons receive. The conversation explores research on inflammatory signaling and the possibility that immune dysfunction outside the brain contributes to neurodegeneration. It also examines experiments in which targeting peripheral inflammation restored memory in mouse models, and why human clinical studies are needed to establish whether these findings can lead to effective treatments.

Hosted by Nicholas Weiler

Steven Strogatz talks with aging researchers Judith Campisi and Dena Dubal about why organisms age and why the process varies between individuals. The conversation examines cellular senescence, the influence of genes, differences in longevity between women and men, and the relationship between aging and diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's. The researchers discuss what experimental evidence can tell us about slowing or reversing aspects of aging, while distinguishing living longer from preserving health and function.

Hosted by Steven Strogatz

Hilde Loge Nilsen discusses research on ageing, cellular repair and proposals to extend healthy life. Conversation in Norwegian.