Publications

Age-Friendly Health Research

Age-friendly health research examines how health systems and communities can better serve older adults while critically assessing whose needs are being met. This work addresses the disconnect between implementation and outcomes evidence in age-friendly health system transformation, emphasizing the need for rigorous evaluation as these frameworks spread nationwide. It also takes a critical equity lens to explore the lived experiences of older adults in urban settings, advocating for age-friendly cities and communities that center—rather than exclude—vulnerable populations. By bridging health services research with social gerontology, this work ensures age-friendly innovations advance both clinical quality and health equity.

Policy Science and Advocacy

Policy science and advocacy encompasses collaborative efforts with influential networks and stakeholders to develop and implement strategies for modifying public policies, laws, practices, and systems. A critical component of this work is the creation and dissemination of accessible public knowledge regarding the individual and societal impacts of major policy decisions, institutional practices, and systemic forces as they relate to health, aging, and intergenerational dynamics. This approach emphasizes the importance of implementing, evaluating, and translating complex research findings into comprehensible information for policymakers and the public, thereby facilitating informed decision-making and promoting evidence-based policy reforms in the field of aging.

Social, Critical, and Environmental Gerontology

Social, critical, and environmental gerontology are interconnected approaches to the study of aging that examine factors external to the individual. These perspectives focus on how societal structures, ideologies, political economies, social networks, built environments, and spatial arrangements influence the aging process. Specifically, they investigate how these external conditions lead to disparities in resource and opportunity access across the life course. 

This lens illuminates the mechanisms by which such factors contribute to population health outcomes, social stratification, and the perpetuation or exacerbation of inequalities among aging populations. By emphasizing these broader contextual elements, these gerontological approaches provide a nuanced understanding of the complex interplay between individual aging and societal forces.

Community-Engaged Research Methods

Community-engaged research methods involve active collaboration between researchers and community members throughout the entire research process. This partnership encompasses defining research questions, collecting and analyzing data, and disseminating findings. By centering community voices and perspectives, these methods aim to effect meaningful change within communities. Such approaches often employ qualitative techniques, including in-depth interviews, photovoice, focus groups, and participant observations, which are suited to exploring the context and meaning behind human actions and beliefs rather than quantifying them.