Beth Newcomb

MyNewsLA reports that a $6.5 million, five-year grant by the National Institute on Aging will establish the Los Angeles Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center. The center is a collaboration among USC, Cedars-Sinai and UCLA. USC Leonard Davis Dean Pinchas Cohen is co-director of this initiative, stating, “This partnership allows us to accelerate breakthroughs that can directly improve quality of life for older adults.”

USC Annenberg Media reports that USC professor Duke Han is co-leading a $39 million NIH-funded initiative to develop an accessible, open-source digital platform for detecting Alzheimer’s-related brain changes earlier. The initiative aims to democratize cognitive assessments currently held behind proprietary tools. USC Leonard Davis faculty member Michelle Keller is also quoted in the story, emphasizing how earlier detection via public tools may enable timely interventions and improve equitable access to cognitive health care. “When we are allowing people to identify potential cognitive decline earlier, it means we can intervene earlier, ” she said.

Chosun Biz quoted Caleb Finch’s commentary in eLife on new findings in naked mole rats that show negligible aging, or no increase in mortality risk with advancing years. “This is the first confirmation of a mammal whose mortality risk does not increase with age,” Finch said.

The Good Men Project quoted Eunyoung Choi about how heat negatively affects your body at a cellular level. “The physical toll of heat might not show up right away as a diagnosable health condition, but could be taking a silent toll at the cellular or molecular level of our body,” Choi said.

Career Ahead Online references the USC Leonard Davis School’s Master of Science in Applied Technology and Aging (MSATA) program as a model preparing professionals for evolving roles at the intersection of aging, senior care, and technology.

Discover Wild Science mentioned that Caleb Finch coined the term “negligible senescence” to describe animals, including giant tortoises, that experience neither increased mortality rates nor decreased reproduction rates as they get older.

Medscape discusses new concerns around polypharmacy in midlife and the risks posed by taking five or more medications. USC Leonard Davis School faculty member Michelle Keller is quoted as recommending that physicians regularly review patients’ full medication lists—including over-the-counter supplements—to identify prescriptions that may no longer be necessary.

Country & Townhouse discusses “The Longevity Diet,” the nutrition plan developed by Valter Longo of the USC Leonard Davis School, explaining its foundations in plant-based eating, periodic fasting, and lifestyle practices shown to support healthspan and reduce disease risk.