Honor/Award
Congratulations to Dr. Jung Kwak of the Texas Center on Aging and Population Sciences (CAPS) for her election to the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) Office of Social Research, Policy, and Practice (SRPP) Section Chair, effective Jan. 1, 2022.
The GSA is the oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to research, education, and practice in the field of aging. The society’s principal mission is to promote the study of aging and disseminate information to scientists, decision makers, and the general public. SRPP is one of four sections within the GSA and focuses on social policy issues and research relevant to social, economic, health, and long-term care policies and the related programs that affect older adults.
Dr. Kwak’s research focuses on long-term care policy, dementia care and end-of-life decision-making. Her recent funded research projects include a study on decision-support needs among dementia caregivers, a pilot study on a decision-support coaching program for family caregivers, and a study of the effects of personalized music listening on nursing home residents with advanced dementia. Her research on dementia care and end-of-life decision-making has been featured in various news and media outlets including the Associated Press, USA Today, and Consider the Conversation, a documentary film about end-of-life care. Dr. Kwak is committed to conducting translational research with community partners to promote evidence-based patient-focused, family-centered support interventions for culturally diverse families. Please visit the The Gerontology Lab research site for more information on her program of research.