Norman Swan: The Brain Cliff
Wednesday 9 September 2026
Livestream
6pm - 7.15pm ACST
In-person attendance for both
Tuesday 8 September and Wednesday 9 September is fully booked.
Please email renee.jolly@adelaide.edu.au to join the waitlist.
08 September - 09 September 2026

Dr Norman Swan returns to the Hawke Centre to explore the science of brain ageing, drawing on insights from his latest book, The Brain Cliff. He will examine what really happens to our brains as we age and what research tells us about maintaining cognitive health, resilience and sharpness throughout life.
Many of us worry about losing our mental edge as we move through our forties and fifties – forgetting names, struggling to recall information, or simply not feeling as quick of mind as we once were. By our sixties and seventies, those concerns can deepen into fears about dementia, cognitive decline and losing our independence.
But according to one of Australia’s most trusted doctors, we have been thinking about brain ageing the wrong way.
Drawing on the latest research and remarkable stories from people in their nineties and beyond who continue to thrive cognitively, Dr Swan reveals that healthy brain ageing is not simply about genetics, diet or exercise. It’s about adaptability, resilience and the everyday habits that help our brains continue to flourish throughout life.
Insightful, practical and ultimately hopeful, this special event will change the way you think about ageing - and leave you with new tools to become a cognitive superager.
Imprints Booksellers will be selling copies of Norman's book, The Brain Cliff. in the Auditorium foyer on the night of the event.
Presented by The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre


While the views presented by speakers within The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre public program are their own and are not necessarily those of either Adelaide University or The Bob Hawke Prime Ministerial Centre, they are presented in the interest of open debate and discussion in the community and reflect our themes of: Strengthening our Democracy - Valuing our Diversity - Building our Future. The Hawke Centre reserves the right to change their program at any time without notice.