Key points:

• Study finds chemical linking exercise and brain health in seniors

• Campus activities with older people to highlight UniSC brain research

• Partnership with National Seniors Australia to fight dementia

About 100 seniors will put their best feet forward tomorrow, Tuesday 15 September, to promote a healthy hippocampus as part of University of the Sunshine Coast brain research aiming to reduce the risk of developing dementia.

The outdoor group exercise class will include participants from UniSC studies that have found links between physical activity and brain health in older people.

Latest findings to be presented at the event include a neuroscience paper from UniSC’s Thompson Institute that identifies for the first time the role of a brain chemical called irisin (eye-riss-in) in the relationship between physical activity and brain health.

“It found that older adults who exercised more had more irisin in their blood, and those with more irisin had a larger hippocampus, particularly in the subfields most important for memory,” said lead author Dr Thomas Pace.

“This is the first time that pathway has been shown in humans, and it’s exciting because the hippocampus shrinks with age and is often the first part of the brain to be affected by Alzheimer’s disease.”

The study was published in a paper in international journal Aging Cell.

Co-author UniSC Associate Professor Sophie Andrews, who leads the Thompson Institute’s Healthy Brain Ageing Research Program, said the team was working to apply the findings to design better interventions to support people to age well.

“We recently conducted a 12-week intervention to boost the brain health of older people, involving multiple lifestyle changes such as diet and exercise,” she said.

Tomorrow’s event, “Mind Your Future: Research insights into lifestyle and healthy brain ageing”, will celebrate the dedication of more than 400 older people who participated in six studies over the past six years.

UniSC Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Helen Bartlett, welcomed the strong collaborations between academics, students and members of the communities that could, in turn, benefit from research findings.

“The Thompson Institute’s growing relationship with National Seniors Australia is also helping raise awareness and build further connections with older Australians,” Professor Bartlett said.

“Partnering with the country’s peak advocacy group for older people assists efforts to reduce the impacts of dementia, which overtook coronary heart disease in 2024 as Australia’s leading cause of death.”

The work of the University’s Healthy Ageing Research team will also be showcased at the event.

National Seniors Australia CEO Chris Grice said the organisation was pleased to partner with UniSC’s Thompson Institute.

“Together, we help to inform and promote the institute’s important research into healthy ageing, so people continue to live well and do what they value throughout their lives – and brain health is an important component of this,” Mr Grice said.

“Australians, including older Australians, should feel empowered that positive lifestyle changes, adopted at any age, can make a difference.

“Whether it's taking a daily walk, joining a community group or improving sleep habits, the evidence is clear – it’s never too late to start and small actions can contribute to better brain health and wellbeing.

“We thank the Thompson Institute’s dedicated Healthy Brain Ageing research team as well as the generous research participants for their collective efforts.”