New funding will continue research to address Alzheimer’s disease and dementia
Apr 20, 2022
Researchers on the Einstein Aging Study work to better understand cognitive aging, Alzheimer’s disease, and related dementias. A new $32 million grant from the National Institute on Aging will allow an interdisciplinary team of researchers from Penn State, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine,…
Challenges of older Pennsylvanians focus of new brief
Mar 22, 2022
Pennsylvania’s population is aging rapidly, and it is estimated that by 2030, one in five residents will be age 65 and older. The issue is important, because as the state’s population ages, the number of adults needing services is expected to increase. In a new policy brief from Penn State’s …News Topics: Pennsylvania Population NetworkAging
New PPN Brief discusses ambulatory and cognition challenges among older Pennsylvanians
Feb 28, 2022
A new brief from the Pennsylvania Population Network (PPN) explores differences in ambulatory and cognition challenges for Pennsylvanians by age group and sex. Authored by Alexis R. Santos, SSRI cofund and assistant professor of human development and family studies, and Raeven Faye Chandler,…
Penn State establishes the Geroscience and Dementia Prevention Consortium
Feb 23, 2022
There is growing evidence that cognitive decline and dementia can be slowed. According to a recent report commissioned by the Lancet, an estimated 40% of dementia cases could be prevented or delayed by targeting modifiable behavioral, physical health, and psychosocial risk factors. There are also…
Aging and Disability Services are Unequally Distributed Across the United States
Feb 22, 2022
The U.S. population is aging rapidly, but 15% of U.S. counties have no aging and disability services organizations. This research brief by Syracuse University’s Claire Pendergrast and Penn State's PRI Associate Danielle Rhubart shows that rural counties and counties with the highest rates of…
Looking for Associate/Full Professor in Population Aging and Health
Nov 30, 2021
Looking For: Associate/Full Professor in Population Aging and Health The Social Science Research Institute and the Population Research Institute (PRI) at the Pennsylvania State University invite applications for a tenured faculty member (Associate Professor or Full Professor) in the area of…
Penn State seeks community partners for advance care planning project
Apr 13, 2021
Reducing health disparities by examining the effectiveness of tools that encourage end-of-life conversations may improve the likelihood that underserved patients receive care that is consistent with their values and beliefs. To achieve this outcome, Hospice Foundation of America (HFA) has partnered…
2021 Lecture on Compassion to focus on preventing premature aging
Apr 12, 2021
Early life experiences involving feelings of love, safety and fear may influence whether someone remains healthy as they age. “In many ways, aging, and resilience to premature aging, begins in the womb, and is especially influenced early in life,” said Elissa Epel, professor of psychiatry at the…
SSRI associate director and cofunded faculty on team that wins national excellence award for research
Nov 2, 2020
Faculty in SSRI are part of a multidisciplinary, multi-institution research team that was recently awarded the National Excellence in Multistate Research Award from the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities and the United States Department of Agriculture. This prestigious and highly…
EIC Podcast on aging in America
Apr 22, 2020
Penn State's Social Science Research Institute has released the second episode of the new Evidence-to-Impact (EIC) Podcast, focusing on aging in America. The episode features a discussion with Marty Sliwinski, director of the Center for Healthy Aging and professor of Human Development and Family…
Researchers recognized for innovative work in aging
Mar 12, 2019
The Mather LifeWays Institute on Aging has recently recognized three investigators in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Penn State for their innovative research in aging. Nilam Ram, professor of human development and family studies and psychology; Lizbeth Benson, a doctoral…
New research project to analyze cognitive training programs for older adults
Feb 6, 2019
A new research project at Penn State aims to evaluate how cognitive training programs can maintain the brain and everyday functioning in older adults. Funded by a $1.85 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, the project will examine the mechanisms of effective cognitive training…
Mobile technologies may help researchers crack the mysteries of aging
Nov 12, 2018
A National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant will allow Penn State’s Martin Sliwinski and team to learn more about how small changes in the brain can develop into neurological conditions later in life by developing new standardized mobile technologies for researchers across the U.S. This type of…
Child maltreatment linked to cognitive aging
Oct 10, 2018
Almost 10 million older adults in the U.S. have cognitive impairment, Alzheimer’s Disease, or other related dementias. Penn State researchers are looking into how early life adversity, specifically child maltreatment, can affect cognitive aging later in life in a new project. According to Chad…
Learning to ask older adults better questions about their memory
Aug 9, 2018
Healthcare providers and researchers rely on screening questions to detect patients who may be at risk for developing Alzheimer's disease and other aging-related problems, but how these questions are worded may be confusing or trigger emotional responses. According to Penn State researchers, this…
Forgetting details, getting the gist may prompt false memories in older adults
Mar 21, 2018
Older adults often complain about forgetting, but Penn State psychologists suggest that another problem may be misremembering. In a study, the researchers found that as people age, they may be more likely to rely on a type of memory — called schematic memory — that helps them remember the gist of…
QuantDev Innovations Featured in The Journals of Gerontology
Jan 18, 2018
The Quantitative Developmental Systems Methodology Core (QuantDev) recently had several of their studies featured in December’s special issue of The Journals of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences. This journal presents studies that advance methodology or understanding in areas…