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Critical Issues in America Series

Aging in America: Leveraging the Frontiers of Aging Research to Promote Healthier Lives and an Empowered Community

America is aging. Throughout American history, individuals under the age 18 have outnumbered adults over 65, a condition that in population demographics was described by a pyramid shape with more young individuals at the bottom available to support the social, economic, and caregiving needs of older individuals at the top. The pyramid is now undergoing a radical shift: it is becoming a pillar. According to US Census data, in 2034 individuals over the age of 65 will equal the number of children under 18. By the year 2030, not far from today, the U.S. baby-boomer generation will be 65+. Every fifth person in America will be an older adult. By historical standards, the sheer number of older adults is staggering: in 2016, there were 49.2 million older adult Americans and by 2060 that number will double. This demographic shift has implications for almost every aspect of society. Aging is a critical issue.

The Center for Aging and Longevity Studies, in collaboration with a grant provided by UCSB's College of Letters and Sciences will host a Critical Issues in America Series program focused on aging and longevity. The program will run from January 2023 to December 2023. It will bring together UCSB faculty and other world-renowned experts to give presentations that will take stock of our current understanding and newest discoveries about aging from multiple research disciplines.

 

Related Links

US Census data, Critical Issues in America Series

 

 Upcoming Events

Apr
06

Aging in America Lecture Series: Aging Genes and Longevity

Cynthia Kenyon, Vice President of Aging Research, Calico Life Sciences

Corwin | 11:00am
Apr
18

Aging in America Lecture Series: Intergenerational Connections after Midlife

Marc Freedman, President and CEO of CoGenerate, and author of How to Live Forever: The Enduring Power of Connecting the Generations

Henley Hall, Room 1010 | 4:30pm
May
09

Aging in America Lecture Series: Remembering the Personal Past in Late Life

Susan Bluck, Professor, Department of Psychology, and Research Affiliate, Neuro-palliative Care Workgroup, College of Medicine, University of Florida

Henley Hall, Room 1010 | 4:30pm
May
23

Aging in America Lecture Series: Cellular Mechanisms of Aging

Malene Hansen, Chief Scientific Officer, The Buck Institute for Research on Aging

Henley Hall, Room 1010 | 4:30pm
Oct
24

Susan Turk Charles, Aging in America Lecture Series: Emotion and Aging

Professor of Psychological Science and Nursing Science, School of Social Ecology, University of California Irvine

Henley Hall, Room 1010 | 4:30pm
Nov
07

Aging in America Lecture Series: Economics of Aging and Longevity

Ronald Lee, Edward G. and Nancy S. Jordan Family Professor Emeritus of Economics, and Associate Director, Center for the Economics and Demography of Aging, University of California Berkeley 

Henley Hall, Room 1010 | 4:30pm
Dec
05

Aging in America Lecture Series: Longer Life and Healthy Aging

Eileen Crimmins, AARP Chair in Gerontology, and University Professor at the Davis School in Gerontology, University of Southern California

Henley Hall, Room 1010 | 4:30pm