Professor Alan Gow - Brain health: stacking the cards in our favour
When we think about how our thinking skills might change as we get older, many people expect some degree of decline. Others can be more pessimistic still, believing that dementia is an inevitable part of the ageing process. Though there are some factors outwith our control (we’re all ageing!), there is growing evidence of the importance of a range of lifestyle and environmental factors.
While we can never predict the future, Professor Alan Gow (Heriot-Watt University) will consider how we might stack the cards in our favour of being brain healthy as we age.
Alan Gow is a Professor of Psychology at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh. He leads the Ageing Lab (https://healthyageing.hw.ac.uk/) exploring lifestyle factors that protect or harm the ageing brain. He is interested in modifiable factors including activity participation and social networks, as these provide targets for intervention. Ensuring research has impact is a priority, and he contributed to SAPEA’s “Transforming the Future of Ageing” report and the Global Council on Brain Health.
Alongside his research, Alan leads various outreach activities sharing what we think benefits brain health, ranging from talks with older people’s groups, performances at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and media contributions. Those activities have been recognised by the British Psychological Society Public Engagement and Media Award in 2016, and as one of two runners-up in the 2019 Nature Research Awards for Driving Global Impact.
Alan’s profile includes links to his research publications https://researchportal.hw.ac.uk/en/persons/alan-j-gow, and you can follow him on X @AlanJohnGow.
All our events are free of charge but we will ask for a voluntary donation. Please note there are some steps in the venue so if you have motor difficulties, please let us know and we may be able to make other arrangements.