Future-Oriented Aging Symposium 2026

Implications of Lifestyle Choices for Brains & Minds: Some Examples from Physical Activity Studies

The presentation will focus on research from our laboratory and that of other researchers which has examined the effects of exercise training interventions and physical activity participation on cognitive and brain health.  We will discuss research that has examined changes in brain structure and/or function along with behavioral measures of cognition in interventions, cross-sectional, and longitudinal studies lasting from several months to several years.  Study  populations will include middle-aged individuals, older adults, and children in addition to a variety of patient groups.  Although the focus will be on training to improve cardiorespiratory fitness we will also briefly cover resistance training as well as multi-modal cognitive and exercise training programs. Multi-modal predictions of adherence to exercise regimes and programs will also be discussed.  Finally, the presentation will identify controversies and gaps in the literature and potential solutions.

Rethinking Cognitive Health in Aging: From Disease Treatment to Personalized Prevention

As populations age, maintaining cognitive health has become increasingly important for preserving independence and quality of life. Advances in biomarkers and disease-modifying therapies are transforming the landscape of cognitive aging, enabling earlier detection and intervention in neurodegenerative diseases. At the same time, cognitive decline reflects the complex interplay of genetic, vascular, lifestyle, and psychosocial factors, challenging one-size-fits-all approaches to prevention. This talk will discuss the evolving continuum from early diagnosis and treatment to personalized prevention, drawing on our community- and clinic-based multidomain intervention studies. Looking ahead, integrating genetic, clinical, and behavioral information may enable more precise identification and prioritization of modifiable risk factors for each individual. The importance of motivation and sustained behavioral engagement in translating personalized recommendations into meaningful changes in cognitive health will also be discussed. 

Making Aging Measurable: From Continuous Signals to Clinical Decisions

As populations age, healthcare must address both lifespan (how long people live) and healthspan (how long they live in good health). These are related but different goals. Living longer does not always mean staying healthy longer. This presentation explores how digital technology can support healthspan by detecting decline earlier, guiding personalized care, and supporting patients between hospital visits.

In this presentation, we will discuss AI-based risk prediction, wearables and digital biomarkers, precision medicine and multi-omics, digital therapeutics, and AI-supported continuous care. Linking daily health data with medical records may help clinicians detect changes in a patient’s health and act earlier.

Kakao Healthcare’s portfolio shows how these tools can work together. PASTA, a mobile solution for chronic disease management, supports continuous glucose monitoring and lifestyle management. KareChat, a mobile messenger–based personal health record service, connects patients with healthcare services and their personal health information. Healthcare data platforms and precision medicine initiatives support research and help identify patient groups with shared characteristics. AI-native EHR development aims to bring patient information, clinical decision support, and care workflows together.

These technologies need to show clear benefits in clinical practice. Collecting more data or making accurate predictions alone is not enough. Successful use requires reliable measurements, connected data systems, fair access, clear rules for data use, and human oversight. Progress should be assessed through improved function, better quality of life, and reduced disease burden, alongside survival.

The Role of Emerging Technologies in Supporting the Health, Well-Being, Independence, and Quality of Life of Older People

Technology holds tremendous promise for supporting the health, well-being, independence, and quality of life of older adults. Yet important challenges remain. A persistent digital divide means that many older adults tend to have lower technology proficiency and adopt new technologies more slowly than younger adults, particularly for emerging technologies. This talk will explore both the promise and the pitfalls of technology-based solutions for older adults with and without cognitive impairment, with particular attention to social connectivity and decision-making. Drawing on research from the ENHANCE and CREATE Centers, the talk will highlight work involving virtual and augmented reality, custom applications, and artificial intelligence. Across these examples, a central theme will be that technological innovation alone is not enough. To be effective, technologies must be designed with older adults, not simply for them, using iterative, user-centered approaches that ensure solutions are accessible, usable, useful, and responsive to real-world needs.  

Designing Elderly Care Policy for an Ageing Society: Do Digital and Person-Delivered Care Complement Each Other? Quasi-Experimental Evidence from South Korea

South Korea’s rapid population ageing has prompted the expansion of long-term care, community-based support, preventive services, and technology-assisted care. This presentation first outlines how these elderly care policies are organized, which needs they address, and where coordination gaps remain. It then focuses on two programs: the Customized Care Service for Older Adults, which provides needs-based, person-delivered support, and digital care, which uses monitoring and emergency-response technologies to help older people remain safely at home. Using linked administrative records for approximately 586,000 older adults, the study applies an quasi-experimental  design to examine whether health outcomes following entry into customized care differ according to prior digital-care exposure.The findings suggest that digital tools may be most effective when embedded in a broader relationship-based care system, informing policy choices concerning service coordination, targeting, implementation fidelity, and investment in integrated community care.

From the Clinic to the Community: Taking a Multi-Systems Approach to the Management of Health and Well-being for the Aging Population

In the United States, 78.8% of adults over 65 manage two or more common chronic conditions (e.g., hypertension, arthritis, and diabetes) which drives healthcare utilization (Watson et al., 2025).  As the number of co-morbidities rise with age, it is impossible to disentangle healthcare utilization with optimal health and well-being. When we conceptualize best ways to maximize aging in in the community, the healthcare system must be included in this conversation. 

The Expanded Chronic Care Model (ECCM; Barr et al., 2003) is a multi-systems model that expands health management from the biomedical perspective to health promotion grounded in public health and social determinants of health. The ECCM intervenes at multiple levels: patient, provider, and system levels to actively support health promotion and prevention before acute crises occur.  By bridging healthcare providers, community resources, and public policy, the model establishes a blueprint for multi-level care. In this talk, two exemplar initiatives from the United States that demonstrate key components of the ECCM at the individual, community, and public policy levels will be discussed: Community Aging in Place, Advancing Better Living for Elders (CAPABLE) Model, and Age-Friendly Health System, 4Ms Model.