Mission

Our mission is to determine how healthy brains lead to active lives. Our research examines how health and health behaviors sustain our thinking and memory through positive effects on our brain as we age, and how these thinking and memory abilities impact how we change health behaviors to support healthy aging. We hope our research informs how we can keep our mind and brain in shape to stay active with our families and our communities throughout life. 

You may be eligible to join one of our ongoing studies

HBC logo
BETTER Aging Study logo

70+ years old?

The BETTER Aging Phase IIB Study involves computerized cognitive training only with no physical activity requirement.

BOOST Observational Study logo

40-65 years old?

The BOOST Observational Study, for participants working full-time (35 hours/week), involves both computerized testing and physical activity.

BOOST Intervention Study logo

40-65 years old?

The BOOST Intervention Study, for participants working full-time (35 hours/week), involves both computerized cognitive training and physical exercise.

Lab News

Esha Patel

Helping with brain research or writing fiction, Esha Patel digs for ‘root causes’

Friday, December 20, 2024
Whether she’s helping the Health, Brain & Cognition Lab investigate how lifestyle choices affect brain health or delving into the motivations of Formula 1 racing drivers for her latest novel, “digging into things to find out root cause” is a satisfying pursuit for University of Iowa third-year psychology major and pre-med student Esha Patel.
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Press and Media

Hayley Chappell and Megan Hilliard in testing room

HBC Lab part of new research hub in Cedar Rapids

Read this Iowa Now story to learn about this new initiative to meet study participants where they are, rather than requiring a trip to labs in Iowa City, and make our research applicable to more people and their daily lives.
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Newsletter

Page 1 of Summer 2024 newsletter

Winter 2025 issue

Thursday, February 6, 2025
Learn how our HBC Lab team performs cutting-edge brain research with a personal touch. Graduate researcher Bryan Madero explains how fitness is linked to higher cognitive performance. Meet LeAnn Trana, who credits her participation in the Brain EXTEND study, with helping her develop an active exercise routine.
Page 1 of Winter 2025 newsletter
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Blog

AI image of brain, heart and fitness tracking device

Fuel your brain with fitness

Tuesday, March 11, 2025
Although in the average person our brain accounts for only about 2% of our body weight, it accounts for 15-20% of energy consumed through cardiac output and oxygen consumption. In this article, we’ll explain why cardiorespiratory fitness is important to protect our energy-greedy brains, give you tips for estimating and improving your CRF, and discuss how this key measure relates to the information supplied by most wearable devices.
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