Several fascinating new studies suggest your desire to live a long life can be almost as important as your genetics.

One of the world’s foremost authorities says there’s no question that your attitude plays a crucial role not only in how long you’ll live but how well you’ll live.

Laura Carstensen, Ph.D., is the founding director of Stanford (University) Center on Longevity and she has spent a lifetime studying aging.

Her distinguished career began by accident — a car accident. After breaking more than 20 bones, she found herself on the orthopedic ward of a hospital for months.

Mostly, she found herself surrounded by older women and got to know them and to identify with them. She began to question how much of aging is a biological process and how much is a social process.

Dr. Carstensen describes how that experience forever changed her views on aging. Plus, find out why Jane Fonda recently recruited her to give a Ted talk on aging. (Click here to watch her talk)

She also explains what the biggest challenges to healthy aging are and how each one of us has the power to change our circumstances.