Who is Sanjula Singh
Sanjula Singh is a physician-scientist whose career has been devoted to understanding and preventing some of the most feared brain diseases: stroke, dementia, and late-life depression. A principal investigator at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School’s Brain Care Labs, Singh believes these conditions are not inevitable. “The most common misconception that a lot of people have is that Alzheimer’s or depression or stroke is like a train coming down the tracks,” she explained. “There’s so much you have in your own hands that you can do to remain healthy and happy. … It’s so simple, but I think that’s what makes it so powerful.”
Singh’s path to science was not straightforward. Born into a family of doctors in the Netherlands, she originally studied music before returning to medicine. During her Ph.D. work on stroke, she realized that research could help save lives but might not stop the diseases from happening. That realization pushed her toward prevention. After advanced study in epidemiology at Oxford and mentorship under leading neurologists, Singh became a driving force in the field of brain health prevention.
The Research and the 17 Factors
Singh’s research has helped show that up to 80 percent of strokes, 45 percent of dementia cases, and 35 percent of late-life depression may be preventable through changes in behavior. Recently, she and her colleagues identified 17 modifiable factors that influence all three conditions. Addressing even one of them can make a difference.
The factors are:
- Blood pressure – lowering high blood pressure reduces risk across all three diseases.
- Body mass index – keeping weight in a healthy range improves brain and heart health.
- Kidney disease – managing kidney function lowers stroke and dementia risk.
- Blood sugar – controlling diabetes or prediabetes helps protect brain cells.
- Total cholesterol – keeping cholesterol balanced supports blood vessel health.
- Alcohol use – limiting intake lowers risk of depression and stroke.
- Diet – eating nutrient-rich, balanced foods supports brain resilience.
- Hearing loss – treating or preventing hearing decline reduces dementia risk.
- Pain – controlling chronic pain prevents stress and depressive symptoms.
- Physical activity – moving regularly strengthens blood flow and cognition.
- Purpose in life – feeling meaning improves mental resilience.
- Sleep – quality rest reduces dementia and depression risk.
- Smoking – quitting smoking dramatically improves brain and vascular health.
- Social engagement – staying connected helps maintain cognitive health.
- Stress – lowering stress through coping tools protects the brain.
- Cognitive activity during leisure – puzzles, reading, and games strengthen brain networks.
- Depressive symptoms – treating depression early can prevent compounding effects.
High blood pressure and severe kidney disease are especially powerful drivers, while exercise, cognitive activities, and social engagement all offer protective effects.
Conditions These Changes Can Affect
The overlap of these factors explains why stroke, dementia, and depression are often linked. “Dementia, stroke, and late-life depression are connected and intertwined, so if you develop one of them, there’s a substantial chance you may develop another,” Singh’s colleague Jasper Senff noted. By working on these 17 areas, people can cut their chances of developing multiple conditions at once.
Singh’s Hopeful Message
Singh emphasizes that change does not require perfection, only action. “It doesn’t matter where you’re starting. What matters is that you begin. Improving — even just a little — is the way forward,” she said. For her, prevention is about empowering people with tools they can use daily. Her lab has developed the Brain Care Score, a measure that helps individuals track their habits and make small, realistic improvements.
She urges people to start with one change, no matter how small. “Start with something small and doable,” she said. “Those first steps can create momentum — and over time, they can lead to powerful change.”
A Future of Prevention
To make these tools widely accessible, Singh is also working on creative solutions, from AI coaching avatars to products that help people remember medications. Her vision is to bring brain health into everyday life in ways that are simple and even enjoyable.
For Singh, brain health should be seen with the same urgency as heart health. She believes people have the power to lower their risks and live longer, healthier lives. “Healthcare is increasingly complex,” she said, “but these findings remind us that preventing disease can be very simple. Why? Because many of the most common diseases share the same risk factors.”
