Dr. Jennifer Etnier recently gave her 79-year-old mother a smartphone. Her mother’s memory is almost impeccable, and Etnier knew she would quickly adapt to the technology. Her father, on the other hand, is in the early stages of late-onset dementia.
One difference between the two? Exercise. Throughout her life, Etnier’s mom has maintained high levels of physical activity. By contrast, her dad was active as a younger man, but let his exercise decline in his later years.
“I started wondering if their differing exercise patterns contributed to this phenomenon,” says Etnier, now the Julia Taylor Morton Distinguished Professor in the Department of Kinesiology at UNC Greensboro.
It’s that curiosity that has guided Etnier’s research since she arrived on campus in 2004, put her ahead of the curve in her field, and led to her latest $3.4 million National Institutes of Health study.