Two groups shared their aging research at the Gerontological Society of America's 2023 Annual Scientific Meeting in Tampa in November.

Costa Rica

Last spring, the Alicia & Yaya Initiative in Global Aging Research brought together two aging researchers: Amanda Lehning, PhD, Senior Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and associate professor at the UMB SSW, and Carolina Santamaria-Ulloa, PhD, full professor and researcher at the Universidad de Costa Rica's Health Research Institute. They worked together from March to July at UMB, then traveled to Costa Rica for an aging conference at the end of July.

At the conference, Lehning and Santamaria-Ulloa presented a poster titled "Access to Universal Health Care in Costa Rica and Higher Levels of Stress and Social Isolation in the U.S. May Explain Lower Survival among U.S. Frail Older Adults."

Japan

Takashi Yamashita, PhD, Professor of Sociology & Gerontology at University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) presented "Development of an International Gerontology Education Course between the U.S. and Japan, in the East meets West: Innovative Approaches to Gerontology Education and Training Symposium."

The presentation shared work from a partnership in gerontology between UMB and UMBC with Flavis Lilly, PhD, former Vice Provost of Academic and Student Affairs and Vice Dean of the UMB Graduate School; Diane Martin, Associate Professor at the UMB Graduate School and Director of the Geriatrics & Gerontology Education and Research (GGEAR) Program; and Mio Kamijo, International Student Advisor in UMB's Center for Global Engagement.

Students in the Global Health Aging in Japan course traveled to Japan for a two-week program that visited 13 sites and two cultural sites. Applications are now open for the 2024 course.

Learn More