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2023

Forging New Frontiers in Aging Research

Chairperson: Andrew Wister

This year’s hybrid conference celebrates the 40th Anniversary of the Gerontology Research Centre and Department. Forging New Frontiers in Aging Research showcases SFU Gerontology's six thematic areas: Aging and the Built Environment; Changing Demography and Lifestyles; Culture and Aging; Population Health and Aging; Prevention of Victimization and Exploitation of Older Persons; & Technology and Aging. This watershed conference is timely, given that we are positioned to transition into a crucial period of rebuilding after the COVID-19 pandemic. Highlights include keynote addresses, topical panel discussions, symposia, and poster displays presented by local, national and international speakers representing community organizations, NGOs, government, and academic sectors.

Program  |  Speaker Bios  |  Poster Abstracts 

Day 2 – June 2, 2023

Symposium: Promising Practices for Aging in the Right Place (AIRP) for Homeless-Experienced Older Adults 

Chair: Atiya Mahmood, Associate Professor, SFU Department of Gerontology

Overview on AIRP

Sarah Canham, Associate Professor, University of Utah, Adjunct Professor, Simon Fraser University

Lived Experience of Housing Precarity/Homelessness

Chris Danielsen, Founder, Power N Knowledge

Practices of AIRP

Jenny Konkin, President and Co-Founder, Whole Way House Society

Research in AIRP

Atiya Mahmood, Associate Professor, Department of Gerontology, SFU

Rachelle Patille, Regional Project Coordinator, AIRP Vancouver

Policy Implications of AIRP

Laura Kadowaki, Adjunct Professor, SFU

Q&A Session

Presentation

Symposium: Social Isolation and COVID-19

Chair: Barbara Mitchell, Professor, SFU Department of Gerontology

Social Isolation and Loneliness Among Family Caregivers Before and During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Lun Li, Assistant Professor, MacEwan University

Rural Dimensions of Social Isolation Among Older Adults 

John Pickering, Postdoctoral Fellow, SFU Gerontology Research Centre

The Java Project: Addressing Loneliness Among Older Adults in Senior Living 

Kristine Theurer, President, Java Group Programs

Presentation

Panel: Gerontology Graduate Student Panel

Chairs: Samantha Teichman, Gerontology Graduate Caucus, Co-Chair

Shawna Hopper, Gerontology Graduate Caucus, Co-Chair

 

Rachelle Patille, Regional Project Coordinator, AIRP Vancouver

Cari Randa, Project Manager, DemSCAPE

Eireann O'Dea, CATI Site Coordinator, CLSA

Presentation

Symposium: Multimorbidity, Mental Health, Dementia and Aging

Chair: Habib Chaudhury, Chair and Professor, SFU Department of Gerontology

Cognitive Health While Aging: What Roles Do Social Isolation and Physical Activity Play?

John Best, University Research Associate, SFU

Multimorbidity Cluster Surveillance in BC

Jennifer Ferris, Health System Impact Post-doctoral Fellow, SFU Gerontology Research Centre

A Spatial Analysis of Walking Activity Among People with Dementia: A Case Study of Metro Vancouver Region

Mohammadjavad Nouri, Alzheimer Society of B.C. Postdoctoral Fellow, SFU Department of Gerontology

Presentation

Panel: Viewing Elder Abuse Through a Diversity Lens 

Chair: Gloria Gutman, Professor Emerita, SFU Department of Gerontology

Elder Abuse in Canada: Does Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) Play a Role? Findings from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging

Gloria Gutman, Professor Emerita, SFU Gerontology Research Centre & Department of Gerontology

The Indigo Survivors Project

Claire Robson, Adjunct Professor, SFU Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies Department

Jen Marchbank, Professor, SFU Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies Department

Presentation