Sex effects on brain aging and disease

Dr. DeCasien received their B.S., M.A., M.Phil., and Ph.D. in Biological Anthropology from New York University. They completed their postdoctoral training in the Section on Developmental Neurogenomics at the National Institute of Mental Health, where they studied the genomic and evolutionary foundations of sex differences in the human brain. Dr. DeCasien now leads an independent research group – the Computational and Evolutionary Neurogenomics Unit – within the Laboratory of Neurogenetics at the National Institute on Aging.

This talk will explore sex differences in brain aging and neurodegenerative disease, focusing on how sex chromosomes and sex hormones change across the human lifespan. Drawing on genomic, transcriptomic, and hormonal studies, we will discuss how these biological factors influence brain health, disease risk, and resilience, highlighting implications for precision medicine and therapeutic development.