“You’re not going to turn into the Hulk by picking up a 20 lb. dumbbell,” Dr. Becca Fetter tells clients at her strength-training gym in North Liberty, Iowa. Too many adults, especially women, miss out on the benefits of weightlifting for fear of getting hurt or developing bulky bodies, says Dr. Fetter, who opened Enduring Strength Physical Therapy and Fitness early this year in Beaver Kreek Center. The gym has attracted a roster of male and female clients in their 50’s, 60’s and 70’s.

Selecting the appropriate intensity of Physical Activity (PA) can positively impact the cognitive and brain health of older adults. While both moderate and vigorous-intensity PA offer valuable benefits, understanding and applying the optimal intensity can further enhance these advantages, thereby supporting the maintenance of independence in daily activities as one ages.

Retired nursing home manager Monte Priske enjoys helping older clients develop sustainable exercise programs. People who have had active work lives do themselves no favor if they suddenly become sedentary when they retire, he says. “If you want to stay independent, you have to get out and move your body. It keeps you active and young.”

Health, Brain, & Cognition Lab researcher and doctoral candidate Bryan Madero presented a poster on his dissertation topic, “Tertiary Sulci and Brain Aging: A Novel Approach to Cognitive Aging,” at the annual conference of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society, held April 13-16 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

No single approach works for everyone, writes HBC Research Assistant Kelsey Baller, who was recently accepted into Washington University's clinical psychology PhD program after multiple applications to various programs. Based on positive comments from interviewers, she believes her diversified lab experience, publications, presentations and professional/academic network were impactful factors in her successful application.

Greetings from one of the newer Health, Brain, and Cognition Lab team members. I came on board in October 2023 to help build and strengthen the lab’s relationship with the community. The launch of this blog is just one part of Lab Director Michelle Voss’s vision of “science and intervention research that is bi-directional with the community whose lives we hope to improve through our research.”

From its establishment in 2012 as a seedling nurtured by mentorship rigorous science, and financial support from the University of Iowa, the Health, Brain and Cognition Lab can now be compared to a mature tree, sprouting new branches of research and establishing lab alumni as seedlings in other areas.