News News 2021 Philippa Clarke (Michigan) and colleagues explore how neighborhoods may protect the cognitive health of older Americans Karen Lasater (Penn) discusses a shortage of well-funded nursing positions, nurse-patient staffing ratios, and high-paying traveling positions NIA Division of Behavioral and Social Research (BSR) is hiring Program Officers Rachel Werner (Penn), Edward Norton (Michigan) et al assess state responses to the coronavirus pandemic related to nursing homes in the first half of 2020 RFA: Postdoc to study impact of vision impairment and blindness on health, disability, and well-being in older adults Freedman, Hu (Michigan), and Kasper (Hopkins) find Older adults’ weekly in-person contact fell substantially early in pandemic Julia Lynch (Penn) et al release new book, Ageing and Health: The Politics of Better Policies Tyson Brown (Duke) Named First Presidential Scholar RFA: Building Skills to Conduct Embedded Pragmatic Clinical Trials (ePCTs) among People Living with Dementia (PLWD) and their Care Partners As dementia’s toll on the U.S. rises, HwaJung Choi (Michigan) et al show major gaps in who gets care that could help them remain at home Call for Abstracts: NHATS/NSOC Dementia Caregiving Research Conference, Due Oct 15 NIA awards up to $5M to Wake Forest University and AFAR to continue leading the Research Centers Collaborative Network (RCCN) New NHATS video tutorial describing its COVID-19 supplements Gregory Samanez-Larkin (Duke) et al Find that Using Imagination Exercises Help Older Adults Better Understand Pandemic Risks Robert Hummer (N Carolina) & Iliya Gutin find sociology optimally positioned to lead discourse on the future of US life expectancy Jason Fletcher (Wisconsin) evaluates the integration of genetic data into medical sociology research Matthew Dupre & Scott Lynch (Duke) study integrates risk trajectories and social determinants to enhance cardiovascular risk assessment in older adults Linda Aiken (Penn) calls for action to end nurse understaffing in hospitals, nursing homes, and schools (NYT) NIA support for dementia care research: Taking stock of the evidence Karen Fingerman (Texas), Kira Birditt (Michigan) & colleagues examine loneliness in late life, television viewing, and physical activity Judith D. Kasper, Johns Hopkins public health researcher who co-conducted acclaimed study on aging, dies RFA: NIA Postdoctoral Traineeship at Wisconsin’s Center for Demography of Health and Aging (CDHA) PAA President Robert Hummer (N Carolina) Participates in White House-NIH Sponsored Listening Session on ARPA-H Mark Hayward (Texas) interviewed about new federal data showing a decline in U.S. life expectancy Karen Lasater (Penn) inducted as a Fellow into the American Academy of Nursing Quincy Samus & Chanee Fabius (Hopkins) Recieve New NIA Impact Collaboratory Awards RFA: Postdoctoral Applications: Specialized Training Program in the Demography and Economics of Aging (T32) CHeSS Jenny Tung (Duke) et al find genetics shape the gut microbiome of baboons with some traits heritable in humans, increasing with age Reducing the Impact of Dementia in America: A Decadal Survey of the Behavioral and Social Sciences Carrie Henning-Smith (Minnesota) examines role of community context and social infrastructure in supporting social well-being among rural older adults Mark Peterson (Michigan) dismisses misconception that people over 65 cannot produce hypertrophy of the muscle All Things Caregivers: Podcast with Chanee Fabius and Halima Amjad (Hopkins) Susan Alberts (Duke) and colleagues conclude there is no cheating old age in sweeping analysis Shannon M. Monnat (Syracuse) received the Excellence in Research Award from the Rural Sociological Society Philipp Koellinger (Wisconsin) discusses how luck drives the interplay of genetics and social environments influences our lives Jung Kwak (Texas) elected as Gerontological Society of America Office of Social Research, Policy, and Practice (SRPP) Section Chair NHATS Chart Book includes key findings about recent trends with an emphasis on differences by age group, gender, and race and Hispanic ethnicity groups Call for Abstracts: Aging and Health Informatics Conference – Due: Sept. 30 Roshanak Mehdipanah (Michigan) receives Henry Russel Award Julia Lynch (Penn) et al examine the effects of politics on health inequalities and show how the COVID-19 pandemic is a syndemic of disease and inequality Jennifer Karas Montez (Syracuse) & Mark Haywood (Texas) elected to Interdisciplinary Association of Population Health Science (IAPHS) Board of Directors Madonna Harrington Meyer (Syracuse) notes “there is very little money flowing uphill” to the older generation (NYT) Mark D Hayward (Texas), Jennifer Karas Montez (Syracuse) et al receive Honorable Mention for the ASA 2021 Distinguished Contribution to Scholarship in Population Award Toni Antonucci (Michigan) Receives Baltes Distinguished Research Achievement Award from APA Jenny Tung (Duke) co-leads Animal Models Research Network to understand the social determinants of health and aging with new Fellowships Jennifer Karas Montez (Syracuse) discusses US life expectancy decrease by 1.5 years during the pandemic – the largest drop since WWII FDA approves $56K treatment for Alzheimer’s with Questionable Efficacy – What happens Next? – Aducanumab Virtual Symposium Sanjay Asthana (Wisconsin) et al find rural living in early life is an independent risk for lower levels of cognitive functioning in later life Aiken, McHugh, Behrman, Smith (Penn) et al find establishing safe nurse staffing standards in Chile saves lives, prevents readmissions, shortens hospital stays & reduces costs Lauren Schmitz (Wisconsin) et al Examine The Socioeconomic Gradient in Epigenetic Ageing Clocks with Evidence from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis & HRS Peterson, Faul (Michigan) et al, use HRS to determine the link between grip strength & inflammation as predictors of disability, chronic multimorbidity and dementia RFP: Pilot Proposals for Network on Life Course Health Dynamics and Disparities in 21st Century America (NLCHDD) Register for the Network for Data-Intensive Research on Aging (NDIRA) Conference Namkee Choi (Texas) receives Maxwell Pollack Award from Gerontological Society of America (GSA) U.S. Racial Health Disparities Among Older Adults Remain Despite Some Progress Ware & Smith (Michigan) et al examine the association between DNA methylation in circulating leukocytes and blood lipids in a multi-ethnic sample Being Older and Black Creates a Double Jeopardy During the COVID-19 Pandemic Corinna Loeckenhoff (Syracuse) et al find modernization makes older adults feel rushed, too An Improved State of Aging in America: Revelations from new NHATS Interactive Dashboards Gabor Kezdi, Economist and Research Associate Professor, Dies at Age 50 Unequal Health Care Access and Quality Contribute to U.S. Racial Health Disparities Among Older Adults Marti DeLiema (Minnesota) examines Baby Boomers’ Biggest Financial Risk: Cognitive Decline Disparities Related to Education, Race, and Gender Compound Health Disadvantages at Older Ages Vicki Freedman (Michigan) find older Americans are aging better than ever, especially women Matthew D. McHugh (Penn) elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) Kristin Litzelman (Wisconsin) examines “Caregiver resource utilization: Intellectual and development disability and dementia” COVID-19 and Other Risk Factors Widen the Black-White Life Expectancy Gap (PRB) Racism-Related Stress Is Linked to Premature Aging and Chronic Disease Faul, Ware, Langa (Michigan) et al examine the relationship between childhood socioeconomic position and cognition in older adults in the US & England RFP: McKnight Brain Research Foundation Innovator Awards in Cognitive Aging and Memory Loss NIA Postdoctoral Fellowship Award to Promote Diversity in Translational Research for AD/ADRD Joseph Gaugler (Minnesota) discusses Improving Health For Older Minnesotans 2 minutes to discover how the well-being of older adults is enhanced by our research on the Demography and Economics of Aging & Alzheimer’s Topping & Fletcher (Wisconsin) find association and pathways of birth in the stroke belt on old age dementia and stroke Mortality Key Factors Underlying Racial Disparities in Health Between Black and White Older Americans (PRB) Ehrlich, Langa (Michigan) find Vision impairment (VI) is associated with the development of cognitive impairment no dementia (CIND) After COVID, research on social isolation and loneliness is needed more than ever Amy Kind (Wisconsin) leads new UW Center for Health Disparities Research Nancy Hodgson (Penn) wins Catalyst award for project, “Sense4Safety-Supporting Socially Vulnerable Older Adults” NHATS searchable bibliography of publications using NHATS and the National Study of Caregiving (NSOC) now available Colleen Heflin (Syracuse) will testify before Congress on the Hunger Crisis Among Veterans and Military Families Network for Data-Intensive Research on Aging (NDIRA) invites membership Miriam Mutambudzi (Syracuse) selected as a NIMHD 2021 Health Disparities Research Institute Scholar Kathleen Cagney named new director of Michigan’s Institute for Social Research (ISR) RFA: Pilot Projects from Center to Accelerate Population Research in Alzheimer’s (CAPRA) Alfonso Flores-Lagunes (Syracuse) joins the Editorial Board of the Journal of Population Economics Get the latest round of NIA cleared research concepts on your 2021 radar! Susan Alberts, Jenny Tung (Duke) et al Find that Chronic Stress in Female Baboons Leads to Early Deaths Career Opening: Economist & Survey Statistician at The Demographic Research Area, US Census Bureau Video Introduction: Centers on the Demography & Economics of Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Sela Panapasa (MiCDA): Native Hawaiians & Pacific Islanders have long been overlooked — which the “Asian American” label exacerbates Dan Lichter (Syracuse) named to Census Bureau National Advisory Committee on Racial, Ethnic, and Other Populations NHATS Data Show Older Adults Lack Even Simple, Helpful Equipment (NYT) Jun Li (Syracuse) received an honorable mention for the John Heinz Dissertation Award Scott Landes (Syracuse) discusses disability data during the pandemic on “Included: The Disability Equity Podcast” Jenny Tung (Duke) on the importance of a comparative perspective on when & how social status influences biological aging Relative invisibility makes for uphill battle to get COVID vaccines for Americans with IDD: Scott Landes (CAPS) Great Smoky Mountains Study of Rural Aging launched by Dodge & Hotz (Duke) Addressing global challenges for aging and dementia: NIA joins GEOHealth initiative Jennifer Karas Montez (Syracuse) discusses how US state policies have contributed to life expectancy troubles Herman Pontzer (Duke) finds lessons on staying healthy from humanity’s past and following the calories Scott Landes (Syracuse) launches the Intellectual and Developmental Disability (IDD) Age-at-Death Tracker Warren, Grodsky, Goosby, Muller et al will use biomarkers to understand how childhood shapes risks of Alzheimer’s Jacqueline Angel (Texas) receives 2020 Outstanding Mentor Award from the ASA’s Section on Aging and the Life Course Shippee & Beebe (Minnesota) Identifying Domains of Assisted Living Quality for Minnesota’s Assisted Living Report Card Eileen Crimmins (USC) discusses social factors associated with poor aging outcomes Terrie Moffitt (Duke) reports on improving translation of aging research from mice to humans Engelman & Malecki (Wisconsin) comment on US life expectancy decline during the COVID-19 pandemic Perez, Hodgson, Coe (Penn) awarded R01 to address increasing rates of ADRD among Latinos Ken Langa (Michigan) comments on finding that people with dementia are more likely to catch severe COVID-19 Shannon Monnat (Syracuse) et al discuss how policies differentially impact population health and aging in rural versus urban populations Kohler & Penn Population Scientists Win NAM Catalyst Grant Award Summary Report from the National Research Summit on Care, Services, Support for Persons with Dementia and their Caregivers Join Clin-STAR’s “Who’s Who” in Aging Research community Handbook of Aging & Social Sciences, 9th ed. Book Release Celebration, Feb 25 Top tips for early career research grant applications from NIA Employment May Slow Memory Decline for Women Quincy Samus (Hopkins) et al Examine Cost-effective Care coordination for People with Dementia At Home COVID-19 reduced U.S. life expectancy, especially among Black and Latino populations Scott Halpern (Penn) named a Hastings Center Fellow Quantifying Potentially Avoidable Financial Losses Due to Dementia addressed by Nicholas Landes Describes Progress in Closing the Age-at-Death Disparity for Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities NHATS COVID-19 Sample Person (SP) Early-release Beta file is now available Carrie Henning-Smith (Minnesota) on Meeting The Social Needs Of Older Adults In Rural Areas Wolf & Lin report on Division of Parent Care Among Adult Children Outcomes of Medicaid home- and community-based long-term services relative to nursing home care among dual eligibles 2020 Positive mood in older adults suggests better brain function Older adults with dementia exhibit financial “symptoms” up to six years before diagnosis Minnesota’s Network for Data-Intensive Research on Aging (NDIRA) Zuelsdorff & Knopman discuss New research into Alzheimer’s disease and dementia Shippee leads study to improve quality of home and community-based services for people with dementia Wisconsin’s CDHA Welcomes 10 New Affiliates For Fall 2020 Announcing NIA’s New Crop Of Research Concepts! Many Older Americans Do Not Receive the Recommended Home Health Care After Hospitalization What Can Economics Say About Alzheimer’s Disease? (NBER working paper) Help Establish Standard Data Collection Protocols For COVID-19 Research Study Finds That COVID-19 Is Hitting Older Black And Latinx Persons Hardest Fingerman Shows That People Who Are More Socially Integrated Are Also More Active Physically Doing COVID-19 research? These data tools can help! NIA’s Strategic Directions: Priorities for continued progress “The Demography of Dementia and Dementia Caregiving” – a new summary from PRB Cole, Seeman, and Smith comment on Health Impacts of Coronavirus Stress and Fear Coronavirus Stress and Fear Could Take a Toll on Our Health Webinar recording and slides available from “Resilience and Reserve: Defining, Refining, and Advancing Research in Aging” Karlawish et al. write on how the struggles of dementia patients and caregivers are worse with the shutdown Bloom and Canning (Havard) discuss obtaining better COVID-19 infection data without universal testing by leveraging the American Community Survey (ACS) Study by Danaei finds women making lifestyle changes even in middle age results in their less likely to have a stroke Grabowski speaks to coronavirus cases in senior care facilities Zissimopoulos & Thunell Find Older Adults Living Alone Report Higher Rates of Anxiety and Depression Older Americans’ Greater Health Problems May Make Them More Vulnerable to COVID-19’s Effects Study by Dieleman et al. finds low back and neck pain tops US health spending. What Can We Learn From the World’s Largest Population of Older People? Aging and Health in China 2019 Older Women Live Longer, But With More Disability and Financial Challenges Than Men PRB article on measuring population aging features researchers from Demography and Economics of Aging Centers at USC/UCLA and the University of Washington Laura Carstensen (Stanford) quoted in Bloomberg on baby boomers staying in the generational mix Maria Polyakova (Stanford) et al. found low-income seniors have better health in affluent communities Alexander Kulminski (Duke) et al. propose new approach to Alzheimer’s research to address environmental risks Caleb Finch (USC/UCLA) and Alexander Kulminski (Duke) propose the ‘Alzheimer Disease Exposome’ to address environmental risks Elham Mahmoudi and Kenneth M. Langa (Michigan) find hearing aids linked to lower risk of dementia, depression and falls Kenneth M. Langa (Michigan) et al. find married people are less likely to develop dementia Francine Grodstein (Harvard) and coauthors find optimism linked to living longer Christine Cigolle et al. on establishing the first geriatric medicine fellowship program in Ghana National Study of Caregiving (NSOC) Extended for PIs Vicki Freedman and Wolff Fabian T. Pfeffer receives Doris Entwisle Early Career Award from American Sociological Association Mara Mather (USC/UCLA) et al. find older adults less distracted by negative information Mark D. Peterson on increased risk of mental health conditions for adults with cerebral palsy Tamara Dubowitz (RAND) quoted on environment and obesity Carstensen (Stanford) mentioned in Psychology Today on feeling more positive as we age Social Security Statement Has Impact, According to Philip Armour (RAND) Jason Karlawish (U Penn) on inclusive definition on health for older adults Jason Karlawish (U Penn) on learning genetic risk of Alzheimer’s in WSJ Kenneth M. Langa (Michigan) et al. on lifestyle changes and dementia Cacchione (UPenn) quoted in an article about why elderly and older populations are particularly vulnerable in an emergency evacuation Donovan T. Maust discusses the increasing rate of fatal falls for adults over 75 Kathryn Edwards (RAND) study behaviors of parents who provide financial assistance to unemployed adult children Colter Mitchell receives Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE) Bhattacharya (Stanford) and colleagues find educational attainment reduces heart disease Studies by Carstensen and Knutson (Stanford) cited in news on saving for the future self Edward Norton (Michigan) et al. find Medicare Shared Savings Program may not be working as well as thought Melissa Wei (Michigan) et al. find multimorbidity increase the risk of cognitive decline and suicide Study by Maestas, Mullen and Powell (RAND) on population aging and economic growth cited in NYT Jason Schnittker (U-Penn) quoted on self-rated health by older adults Arline T. Geronimus, John Bound, Timpe et al. find opioid epidemic alone didn’t cause life expectancy decline Jacqui Smith (Michigan) receives Distinguished Mentorship in Gerontology Award from the Gerontological Society of America Kira Birditt, Lindsay Ryan (Michigan) and coauthors won Richard Kalish Innovative Publication Award from the Gerontological Society of America Baby boomers are redefining what aging is, said Jennifer Ailshire (USC/UCLA) Goodarz Danaei (Harvard) and colleagues find 3 interventions that can prevent 94 million premature death Study by Linda Aiken and Matthew McHugh (U-Penn) cited in a New York Times article on health care providers LA Times cites studies by Skolarus (Michigan), Burke (Michigan), Grabowski (Harvard) and colleagues on high out-of-pocket medical costs Gruber (NBER) interviewed on NBER study on association between early social security claiming and poverty Carstensen (Stanford) quoted on increasing the odds of high quality longevity Studies on education level and health outcomes by researchers from Demography and Economics of Aging Centers cited in NYT Study from USC/UCLA Center on Biodemography and Population Health links racism to disease risk among African Americans PRB features researchers from Demography and Economics of Aging Centers on studies of older women’s disability and financial challenges Amanda Kowalski (Michigan) and John Mullahy (Wisconsin) won 2019 ASHEcon Awards The case for more diversity in studies of genetic association with disease Cutler (Harvard & NBER) ‘s work on value of medical spending featured in NYT Upshot Is a healthy social life a healthier life in general? Grabowski (Harvard) and Werner (U Penn) comment on federal ratings for rehab care at nursing homes Donovan T. Maust (Michigan) on survey results from the National Poll on Healthy Aging Grabowski (Harvard) quoted in NYT Lisa Berkman (Harvard) on social connections and health James F. Burke, Lesli E. Skolarus (Michigan) and coauthors find out-of-pocket costs for neurologic medications rise sharply Research on social interaction and memory loss by Glymour and Berkman (Harvard) in the news David Grabowski (Harvard) et al. find many middle-income seniors will have insufficient resources Sarah Tishkoff (U Penn) quoted in Nature article on diversity in genome-wide association studies Cheryl Damberg (RAND) and coauthors on primary care spending of Medicare beneficiaries Keeler (RAND) and Damberg (RAND) et al. on reducing low value preoperative care for cataract surgery patients Jason Karlawish (U Penn) quoted by Associated Press on social cognition and the aging brain Amy Kind (Wisconsin) Honored with Yoshikawa Award from the American Geriatrics Society Sarah Tishkoff (U Penn) and colleagues on the missing diversity in human genetic studies Rachel Werner, Norma Coe (U Penn) et al. study patient outcomes with home care vs skilled nursing facility David Grabowski (Harvard) testifies before Senate Finance Committee Joseph Dieleman (Washington) and coauthors on new population aging metric Murray and Lopez (Washington) won 2018 Gairdner Global Health Award for their work on Global Burden of Disease Scott Huettel (Duke) and colleagues study saving decision and behavior Jessica Ho (USC/UCLA) finds overdose death rates highest in US Poterba (NBER) and Shoven (Stanford & NBER) quoted in Reuters’ report on Brookings Forum on working longer Cutler (Harvard and NBER) et al. on the slowdown in medical spending growth among the elderly Sanjay Basu (Stanford) led study finds more primary care physicians associated with longer life expectancy Cleared Concepts: An early heads-up for savvy scientists seeking funding from NIA Negativity bias decreases with age, according to Laura Carstensen (Stanford) and co-author David Cutler (Harvard and NBER) led study on cutting health care costs John Shoven (Stanford) quoted in Reuters Maestas and Grabowski find Simpler Plan Finder may help Medicare Part D consumers cut costs NIA Director outlines aging research in 2019 Grabowski and Cutler (Harvard) co-authored paper on hospital readmission under Medicare program discussed in NYT Vicki Freedman et al. study association between caregivers’ wellbeing and daily caregiving experience Marguerite Burns (Wisconsin) awarded grant to study “Leaving Prison and Connecting with Medical Care” Kenneth M. Langa, Bruno J. Giordani (Michigan) and co-authors find black adults with high blood pressure showed faster cognitive decline Funding for Behavioral Change to Benefit Older Adults from NIA’s Research Centers Collaborative Network UCLA Division of Geriatrics led by David Reuben awarded $2 million from Eisner Foundation 2018 Reuben and colleagues show dementia care program reduces nursing home admission and cuts Medicare costs Jennifer Ailshire (USC/UCLA) and co-authors examine sleep duration trends in U.S. adults McHugh and Aiken (U Penn) et al. study the quality of end of life care in US hospitals John Shoven (Stanford) quoted in WSJ on working longer for financial well-being Pamela Herd will present at NIH OBSSR Director’s Webinar Series “Saving regret” study by Hurd (RAND), Rohwedder (RAND) et al. featured in Forbes Hudomiet’s study on retirement paths featured in the Forbes’ article Matthew Dupre (Duke) quoted in Time for his research on health impact of marriage A new NIA-funded resource synergizes efforts of aging research centers Asthana and Herd (Wisconsin) lead new research that will track the progression of dementia in the WLS. Gary Small (USC/UCLA) quoted in the Washington Post on the effect of sedentary behavior on brain health Kindig, Nobles and Zidan (Wisconsin) are among award winners for AJPH paper of the year Freedman (Michigan) co-authored study on dementia’s impact on family and caregivers was cited in The New York Times NYT quotes study on widening differences in life expectancy by Toni C. Antonucci (Michigan), Berkman (Harvard), Carstensen (Stanford), Goldman (USC/UCLA) and James S. Jackson (Michigan) Study by Douglas Sloane, Herbert Smith, Linda Aiken and Matthew McHugh (U Penn) on the effect of nursing resources on the quality of care has been quoted in The Nation Three affiliates from the Aging Centers Terrie Moffitt (Duke), Daniel Polsky and Rachel Werner (U-Penn) were elected to the National Academy of Medicine Curtis, Engelman, Fletcher, Palloni to Examine Place Of Birth, Health, And Mortality At Older Ages (CDHA) William Dow is quoted in Forbes as a speaker at Milken Institute Future of Health Summit panel “Race, Gender, and Work: The Economics of Healthy Aging” “The Effect of Physical and Cognitive Decline at Older Ages on Job Mismatch and Retirement” from Hudomiet (RAND), Hurd (RAND), Rohwedder (RAND) and Willis (Michigan) Hospital accreditation is not associated with better outcomes for U.S. patients according to Ashish Jha and colleagues Sleep’s Role in Aging and Chronic Disease – New Evidence from PRB Nicole Maestas (RAND) and David Grabowski (Harvard) on Medicare plan finder tool Norma Coe (U Penn) et al. examine the caregiving costs for families David Reuben will use foundation endowment to expand geriatrics research Coe et al. estimate “cost to well being” for daughters, age 40-70, who provide care for elderly mothers Maestas says women may sacrifice more Social Security earnings than men when they retire early Amy Finkelstein and Jonathan Skinner (NBER) on mandatory Medicare bundled payment program NIA funded CALERIE Research Network aims to inspire and support new studies Ashish Jha et al. on improving global health care PRB launches 2018 WPD site with focus on changing age structures across the globe and historical time Centers well represented in PAA election results Jha on the role of physician gender in the outcomes for women who have heart attacks World’s largest collection of publicly available research data on aging FEM: Modeling trends in the demographics and economics of aging Jagust and Mormino say new approach to imaging brain synapses could help with diagnosing and treating AD Harvard study of South Africans age 40+ finds older age, more than education, wealth, or health, linked to depressive symptoms Add Health Parent Study data released Freedman, Kasper et al. examine recent changes in dementia prevalence among Americans 70+ NHATS releases Round 7 data files NIA-funded genetic database on Alzheimer’s makes DNA sequence data available to researchers Trojanowski et al. find “proteinopathies” may contribute to many old-age neurodegenerative diseases Wisconsin’s Neighborhood Atlas: Mapping areas of disadvantage New report on advances, trends, and research directions in the demography of aging Gateway to a full array of survey data on aging from around the world WaPo on recent work by NIA researchers showing increasing cognitive life expectancy Michigan researchers examine joint genetic-environmental contributions to risk of late-onset Alzheimer’s Hayward and Basu on inaccuracy of common tool to estimate CVD risk and prescribe meds Student volunteers needed for IAPHS Annual Meeting in Washington, DC, Oct 3-5. Register July 23. NIA repository offers cell/DNA samples for research on the mechanisms of aging New study by Bardo and Lynch examines whether cognitive health is essential for a happy life NIA researchers find falling prevalence of dementia among older Americans NIA offers rich source of Spanish-language health info for older adults Jason Fletcher selected as Wisconsin’s new CDHA Director NIA on dementia detection using biomarkers New analysis by Vicki Freedman, Kasper et al finds declines in US dementia prevalence over past 5 years Judith Campisi elected as National Academy of Sciences member Valter Longo leads NIA-funded $10 million program on fasting and mechanisms of cellular protection and regeneration Jagust et al find subclinical amyloid accumulation predictive of Alzheimer’s Are Baby Boomers Healthy Enough to Keep Working? (Issue 37 of Today’s Research on Aging from PRB) Examining dementia trends in America Measuring biological risk for late-life health outcomes Maestas finds married boomer women may want to keep working after their husbands retire Unretirement becoming more common RAND Center for Disability Research Trojanowski and colleagues chart epigenetic changes linked to Alzheimer’s Herd and Stanford colleagues use 60-year WLS to study predictive quality of polygenic scores Preston and Elo examine impact of diabetes on US mortality trends Small et al. find 4-weeks of mental and physical training improved cognition among older adults USC releases open-source MRI stroke dataset States with highest death rates among older Americans concentrated in the South Carstensen says “older people are happier” in their more selective interactions 45-year Dunedin Study follows New Zealanders from birth into pre-retirement Small et al. find curcumin improves memory, attention, mood among older adults PRB’s interactive map by gender and state of death rates for Americans age 55+ NIA urges research on geographic inequalities in US morbidity/mortality 2017 Herd et al. find 25 genetic variants linked to human longevity RAND researchers find “fluid concept” of retirement among US workers U-Penn’s Ryskina, Polsky and Werner find increasing prevalence of ‘nursing home specialists’ Martha J. Bailey among Bloomberg’s ‘People to Watch in 2018’ Laura Carstensen on “perennial” potential of aging well Impact of diabetes on US mortality trends Cruickshanks et al find boomers have better eye health than previous generations Belsky says test to predict the pace of biological aging isn’t ready for market Mexican Health and Aging Study charts changes since 2000 Eight projects examine health and aging in long-running NBER program NIA initiative assesses effectiveness of interventions for mediating cognitive decline and dementia Can economic booms shorten lives? Cutler et al examine 100 birth cohorts in 32 countries UCLA Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Program wins innovation award Helping create a world where the majority of people thrive in old age Sherri Rose wins New Innovator Award from NIH NIA funding for Alzheimer’s and dementia research increases dramatically Kawachi and colleagues find living with a purpose may lessen physical decline with age New study analyzing link between population aging and economic growth compared to studies at RAND and Harvard NIA rolls out new feature-rich mobile-responsive website Congratulations to new PAA Board members Mary Beth Ofstedal (Michigan) and James Raymo (Wisconsin) HRS data show 37% of Americans age 50+ have less than $1,000 in their checking account Kenneth M. Langa et al. find rising rates of healthy older Americans are uneven by race, education, and income Bhattacharya et al. find vision-cognition link among older adults USC & Columbia develop index of life quality among the aging in 30 countries Grodstein et al. find weight gain in adulthood linked to much higher risk of chronic disease in later life Neal Krause wins GSA’s Robert Kleemeier Award Understanding the generational economy PRB report looks at the changing face of dementia Work by Ailshire, Beltrán-Sánchez, and Crimmins suggests important considerations in early retirement Glymour, Rohwedder, Willis, and Börsch-Supan say working longer may boost cognitive health Jonathan Skinner says Boomers aren’t saving enough for retirement Picturing how education impacts life expectancy across the globe Massive study of the social determinants of HIV/AIDS incidence, prevalence, and mortality How employers, the government, and older people can help keep Americans age 65-plus in the workforce Belsky et al. find reducing calorie intake over two years slowed biological aging Dwyer-Lindgren, Mokdad, Murray et al. find large and growing geographic disparities in Americans’ life expectancy Mokdad and Dwyer-Lindgren identify patterns in cancer mortality across US counties, 1980-2014, by cancer type Joseph Dielman uses pilot funding to explore impact of economic development on health of older populations in 188 countries Auerbach, Goldman and Lee gauge how wealth contributes to Americans’ longevity, lifetime government benefits Marsha Mailick, Jan Greenberg et al. examine links among FMR1 genotype, stress, and health among aging adults Maestas, Mullen, Powell say older voters tend to oppose economic reforms that would counter costs associated with aging population Sam Preston and Andrew Stokes say diabetes kills more Americans than commonly thought Kenneth M. Langa, Larson, Crimmins, Jessica Faul, Levine, Kabeto, and David Weir report on decreasing prevalence of dementia among Americans in JAMA John Bound, Arline T. Geronimus, et al. find estimates of decreasing longevity among low-SES whites sensitive to measures and interpretations CEDA launches Berkeley Forum on Aging and the Global Economy Longitudinal Aging Study in India Developing novel indicators of cognitive function Disparities in stroke risk factors by race/ethnicity Impacts of physician practice characteristics on health care Cellular senescence, inflammation and aging Linda Aiken wins nursing’s most prestigious international award Analyzing determinants of healthy life span and longevity New PRB report: How neighborhoods affect health and well-being of older Americans Ashish Jha and colleagues find better survival rates among Medicare patients treated by foreign-educated doctors Belsky, Caspi, Cohen, Yashin, Moffitt and Levine develop bio measures of aging at midlife Aging in the 21st Century synthesizes large range of research output using HRS data Arun Karlamangla, Gail Greendale and colleagues find cognitive aging in middle-aged women NIA offers heads up on future funding possibilities by publishing concepts approved at National Advisory Council on Aging meetings Laura Carstensen elected to National Academy of Medicine Peter Huckfeldt and colleagues find Medicare Advantage costs less and leads to better patient outcomes than traditional Medicare Linda George awarded distinguished professorship at Duke 2016 Kenneth M. Langa, Eric Larson, and Eileen Crimmins find decline in dementia prevalence among Americans 65+ Sean Fahle and Kathleen McGarry find growing need for elder care has negative impact on women’s employment Research on longevity determinants and implications. TRA, Nov 2016 Models test impact of U.S. social welfare interventions on health over life course Phenotypes, genotypes, and exceptional longevity Do migrants really have a mortality advantage in their host countries? Chronic social stress and later life health Jason Karlawish and Kenneth M. Langa specify how to improve national research on Alzheimer’s interventions Researchers from NIA, Harvard, USC, UCLA and more find additional evidence that epigenetic age predicts mortality Laura Carstensen sees symbiosis in older people working with children RAND researchers find lower labor productivity from an aging U.S. workforce Population-Level Trends in Dementia: Call for Proposals Laura Carstensen says positive relationship between aging and happiness is no paradox Henry Paulson directs NIH-funded Michigan Alzheimer’s center Morgan Levine finds link between age at menopause and biological aging Morgan Levine, Hoorman Allayee and colleagues analyze biological aging by race/ethnicity and sex Vicki Freedman finds black Americans live more of their older years with disability than white Americans Harvey Jay Cohen and colleagues find regular exercise in 50s key to later mobility Retirement satisfaction slipping among retirees over past 15 years? Richard Wight and Carol Aneshensel find aging gay men at higher risk of various forms of stress How does expanding Medicaid impact access to and wait times for primary care? Duke researchers Belsky and Moffitt examine genetics of socioeconomic success across 40 years Olivia Mitchell says lump-sum payment would inspire more Americans to delay claiming Social Security benefits Robert Sampson and Samuel Preston discuss shrinking gap in life expectancy between black and white Americans The generational economy and population aging in 50 countries Data on mortality levels and trends, by state, since the 1930s Progression of Parkinson’s to cognitive impairment Raj Chetty, David Cutler and colleagues find Americans in top 1% of income live 10-15 years longer than poorest 1% AAUP reports on faculty compensation by category, affiliation, and academic rank UPenn’s Matthias Hollwich looks at how to ‘live smarter now to live better forever’ Brooke McFall, Amanda Sonnega, Robert Willis, and Peter Hudomiet examine compositional changes in jobs held by older workers Vicki Freedman et al find women are living longer than men, but with fewer disability-free years Family Caregiving for People with Dementia infographic released by PBR HRS genomics data available for analysis Lisa Berkman and colleagues discuss opportunities for and challenges of older people in the workforce PRB reports on NIA-supported research on family caregiving to aging family members Hiram Beltrán-Sánchez says homicides impact national life expectancy in Mexico What predicts aging well among women? Kenneth Langa and Michael Hurd discuss impact of education on dementia Eileen Crimmins says recent research suggests the likelihood of getting dementia in old age is decreasing William H. Frey says Boomers continue to make ‘ground-breaking history’ as they enter their seventies Risk factors for sensory and cognitive declines beginning in mid-life William Dow and colleague find the poor live longer in Costa Rica than in the U.S. 2015 Judith Campisi says new publication is GSA’s most comprehensive textbook on biology of aging Understanding how Americans age Susann Rohwedder and Robert Willis find those who stay on the job after age 60 stay sharper than early retireess Till Bärnighausen and colleagues find growing gender gap in life expectancy among HIV+ South Africans with increasing availability of ART PRB report summarizes findings on impacts of Great Recession for older Americans Samuel Preston, David Cutler, and Ronald Lee taken aback by rising mortality among middle-aged white Americans Zeng Yi (Duke) says China’s abandonment of one-child policy not unexpected, especially given government’s interest in his research Latest issue of Today’s Research on Aging available from PRB Desire for and benefits of engaged activities for older adults Princeton’s Angus Deaton wins 2015 Nobel Prize in economics Investment choices among workers in Mexico’s privatized social security system How does obesity impact international differences in longevity? Genes, environment, behavior, EPs, and health risks in later life Cardiometabolic disorders among older Sub-Saharan Africans Keith Whitfield wins GSA award for outstanding mentorship Christopher Murray says GBD study results can help guide international health policies John Beshears says it’s important to know retirement implications of different 401(k) savings plans Axel Börsch-Supan says Germany cannot afford government program allowing retirement at age 63 David Bloom says mandatory retirement policy based on ageist assumptions Grant Miller to help develop Bengal, India’s first Institute of Public Health Alan Auerbach says holding the line on Social Security and Medicare may be politically difficult Gary King says bias likely in SSA’s demographic and financial forecasts Caspi, Yashin, Moffitt, Sugden and colleagues find 38 year olds vary in biological age from 28 to 61 Tchetgen, Glymour, Kawachi and colleagues find middle-age adults with depression have double the risk of stroke David Lam is new director of Institute for Social Research Richard Hodes, Ronald Lee, Robert Willis and Susann Rohwedder cited on how increasing life span impacts retirement James S. Jackson says racial health disparities at older ages result from differences in lived experiences, not genetics Michael Hurd says older workers face a number of impediments in job searches John Laitner says planning for future retirement should account for increasing longevity Ulrike Malmendier says Great Depression-era Americans less likely to invest in stock market Christopher Murray signs IHME-WHO memorandum of Agreement to collaborate in efforts to improve worldwide health data Arline T. Geronimus says urban poor experience cellular aging linked to chronic stress of poverty, racism, everyday life HRS data analysis indicates 1 in 5 older Americans dies broke Remembering NIA’s Richard Suzman Emilio Parado says low in-migration and loss of college graduates contribute to aging of Pennsylvania’s population John Haaga and Richard Suzman introduce special issue of the Journal of Population Ageing Promoting the health and well-being of older adults is a prime goal of the NIA-funded Aging Centers, overviewed in Research Highlights #14 Seth Sanders says Great Migration of African Americans to northern urban areas brought higher mortality Laura Carstensen says we need to redesign culture to account for longer lifespans James P Smith and colleagues review forces affecting healthy aging in China Christine Cigolle finds falls among seniors up 30% over past 12 years Emma Aguila, Arie Kapteyn, and James Smith find income supplements benefit health of poor elderly Mexicans 2014 Laura Carstensen challenges notion that old age is depressing time of life Philip Cook discusses benefits of smart guns as component of firearms regulation Helen Levy and Kenneth M. Langa find older Americans may not enjoy benefits of internet-based health information Richard Hodes invites comments on NIA’s 2015 Strategic Directions for Research on Aging Laura Carstensen confronts claims by “brain game” makers about their benefits for cognition and memory Stanford Center on Longevity issues design challenge to students Thomas Anderson and Hans-Peter Kohler say social and economic barriers in South Korea contribute to aging population Longevity and Genetics Conference explores developments in biotechnology, personal genomics, and quantified self Hurd and Rohwedder find singles less financially prepared for retirement than married couples Vicki Freedman and Spillman find nearly half of those 65+ need some daily assistance Work by Sanjay Basu (Stanford) and colleagues finds depression more likely among unemployed in U.S. than in Europe Lisa Berkman (Harvard) says policies needed to address ‘disruptive experience’ of job loss National report shows impact of aging among Americans 65+ What a “just-in-time” information request from NIA signals about the ultimate success of your application Work by Susann Rohwedder and Robert Willis on retirement and cognition cited in NYT Katherine Baicker says mortality decrease in Massachusetts shows impact of legal mandate for health insurance Mary McEniry and Robert F. Schoeni host Conference on Long-run Impacts of Early Life Events Robert Willis (Michigan) and Joanne Hsu find dementia impacts financial decision making among Americans over 50 Work of Kaare Christensen and Anatoliy Yashin (Duke) featured in article on old age dementia Heather Howard (Princeton) comments on state variation in outreach for insurance enrollment Uwe Reinhardt (Princeton) says replace individual insurance mandate Michael Hurd and Susann Rohwedder (RAND) find variation in retirement spending based on wealth Eric Kingson (Syracuse) says senior rights movement needs strong leadership Vicki Freedman (Michigan) finds caring for husband adds to wife’s happiness Heather Howard (Princeton) comments on state insurance exchanges on NPR 2013 Gary Engelhardt (Syracuse) and colleagues find senior homeowners face fewer impediments to good health than renters Analysis of dementia costs by Michael Hurd (RAND) and Kenneth M. Langa (Michigan) cited in USA Today CAPS (Syacuse) and CPC (Cornell) establish consortium to facilitate collaboration and leverage resources Arline T. Geronimus elected to Institute of Medicine, 2013 Angela Duckworth (U-Penn) selected as 2013 MacArthur Fellow Hans-Peter Kohler (U-Penn) quoted in NYT on U.S. fertility Angus Deaton (Princeton) examines history behind global health and wealth disparities Research of Linda Aiken (U-Penn) cited in NYT piece on the importance of sufficient nursing staffing Ron Lee (UC-Berkeley) steps down as Director of CEDA, Will Dow steps in Robert Fogel (Chicago) passes away June 11, 2013 Angus Deaton (Princeton) finds living with children increases stress among seniors William Dale (Chicago) wins Hartford’s Heroes of Geriatric Care story contest Arline T. Geronimus wins Excellence in Research Award from School of Public Health NIH-funded study at RAND and University of Michigan estimates costs of dementia Toni Antonucci (Michigan) and Laura Carstensen (Stanford) discuss some causes and effects of happiness in later years Michael Hurd (RAND) discusses dementia study in NYT Ana Diez Roux says Americans’ health problems are systemic Ulrike Malmendier (CEDA) awarded Fisher Black Prize 2012 James Smith (RAND) wins Cozzarelli Prize from PNAS Laura Carstensen (Stanford) honored as one of AARP’s most influential aging advocates James S. Jackson elected president of COSSA Eileen Crimmins (USC-UCLA) wins GSA’s 2012 Kleemeier Award Linda Waite (Chicago) gives Matilda White Riley Lecture, October 22, 2012 Kevin Volpp (U-Penn) elected to Institute of Medicine Jay Olshansky (Chicago) discusses declines in life expectancy for low-educated whites Olivia Mitchell (U Penn) looks at opt-out version of 401(k) in Bloomberg BusinessWeek Anatoli Yashin (Duke) receives Mindel Sheps Award for contributions to demographic research methodologies Kenneth M. Langa gives plenary on Alzheimer’s treatment and prevention Linda Waite, Deborah Carr, Laura Carstensen and Toni Antonucci comment on living alone without loneliness Health and Retirement Study adds genetic data to NIH database Toni Antonucci (Michigan) says good friends increase feelings of worth and meaning, especially as we age Kenneth M. Langa (Michigan) says care-giving resources for dementia key public policy issue Helen Levy (Michigan) featured in story on U-M faculty advisors to White House William H. Frey (Michigan) tells NYT unmarried boomers face greater economic hardships than married counterparts Ana Diez Roux notes that life expectancy is rising with weak economy as during Great Depression William H. Frey says age of senior citizen status a “gray area” U-Penn’s Claudia Valeggia wins Presidential Early Career Award for work in Argentina David Wise (NBER) and Daniel Kahneman (Princeton) elected Distinguished Fellows by AEA Brigitte Madrian and David Laibson (Harvard) and James Choi (Yale) receive TIAA-CREF award for work on financial security Data from pilot wave of Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI) now available David Weir says years near end of work life best time for retirement savings (USN&WR) NIA and WHO release report on Global Health and Aging PRB publishes report on life expectancy trends in high-income countries PRB releases report on volunteering and health for aging populations Recent web article from PRB examines how centenarians’ genes and habits provide clues to longevity Helen Levy (Michigan) discusses federally mandated state health insurance exchanges 2011 William H. Frey (Michigan) says upcoming retirees “may not run with the herd,” but many will still move to Florida Robert F. Schoeni (Michigan) discusses AJPH article on early childhood links to mid-life health Lauren Nicholas (Michigan) et al find advance directives may improve care, cut costs at end of life 2009 David Lam elected president of PAA for 2011 2008 Heidelberg Club International prize awarded to NIA’s Demography of Aging Centers Program
