"Aging Brains, Aging Vessels"
The 2026 Sylvan M. Cohen Annual Retreat, hosted by the Institute on Aging in partnership with the Penn Cardiovascular Institute (Penn CVI) and the North American Artery Society (NAA), explored the important relationship between cardiovascular and brain health through the theme, “Aging Brains, Aging Vessels.” Held as a half-day extension of the 2026 NAA Conference, the retreat convened researchers and clinicians across aging, neurology, and vascular biology to examine how vascular health is linked to neurodegenerative disease and cognitive aging.
The program featured presentations on cerebral cavernous malformation as a brain-specific vascular disease, brain perfusion in aging and neurodegeneration, and the role of cerebrovascular and cardiovascular dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease and cerebral amyloid angiopathy. Additional discussions explored the brain’s natural “self-cleansing” systems and emerging therapeutic strategies at the intersection of vascular and neurodegenerative research. Keynote speaker Roxana Carare, MD, PhD, University of Southampton, presented “Intramural Periarterial Drainage of Fluids from the Brain: Implications for Treatment and Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease,” highlighting the brain’s waste-clearance pathways and their relevance to Alzheimer’s disease.
Presentation recordings from the event are available here:
Watch the 2026 Sylvan M. Cohen Retreat Recordings
Photos from the event are available here:
2026 Retreat Photos