Using genome-wide analyses in over 56,000 individuals, we identify 59 genetic loci linked to brain aging, of which 39 are novel. This work also uncovers key biological pathways that connect brain aging to mental, metabolic, cardiovascular and lifestyle factors, and offers insights for promoting healthy aging and preventing neurodegenerative diseases.

Nature Reviews Genetics, Published online: 24 September 2025; doi:10.1038/s41576-025-00895-2Haplotype phasing and genotype imputation improve genomic analyses by determining which variants occur together on a chromosome and inferring unobserved varants, respectively. In this Review, Sun and Li describe how tools for haplotype phasing and genotype imputation have evolved to accommodate increasingly larger genomic datasets and new sequencing technologies.