The Safe Program mission is to determine factors that set the stage for decline in brain function and loss of independence in older adults. We study the mechanisms by which clinical, environmental, and hereditary factors lead to age-related disorders, abnormalities in systemic regulation and functional decline in older adults.

Our main focus is to understand how age and age-related disorders like diabetes, stroke and obesity influence brain structure, blood flow and functional connectivity, and how these changes in the brain lead to cognitive and functional impairments. Our goal is to design conduct clinical trials and implement new strategies to promote successful aging, facilitate independence of older people and prevent functional decline. The main components are: translational clinical research, neurophysiological and locomotor assessments, magnetic resonance imaging and mathematical modeling.