About
Our Mission
To promote lifelong health and well-being through scholarship that fosters curiosity, partnership, and inclusion.
Shaping the Future of Aging
The Center for Healthy Aging (CHA) is a research community committed to shaping a society that fosters independence, ensures security, and instills purpose in all individuals, regardless of age.
In a historic shift projected to occur by 2034, the number of individuals over 65 is expected to exceed the population of children and young adults below 18. By 2050, the number of centenarians in the U.S. -- people 100 years of age or older -- will increase by over 500% to 378,000. This increase in longevity is dramatically reshaping our society in ways that will impact our economic structure, our approach to healthcare, and how we manage long-term care and disability needs. But we’re also not prepared culturally.
Researchers, students, and community partners in the Center for Healthy are working to realize our vision of a society that cultivates independence, security, and purpose for every person throughout their entire life.
History
Established in 1973 as the Penn State Gerontology Center, the center quickly became a leading hub for pioneering research and scholarship. In 2010, it became the Center for Healthy Aging, reaffirming a commitment to lifelong physical, social, and mental well-being through comprehensive research, education, and outreach.
The center’s dynamic community includes interdisciplinary faculty, administrative and research staff, graduate students, and postdoctoral researchers from various colleges. Together, this group embarks on groundbreaking studies that integrate biology, genetics, and social sciences. The faculty focus on topics including change across the lifespan, the impact of stress on health, and the role of policy in shaping the aging process.
Through scholarship that nurtures curiosity, partnership, and inclusion, the Center for Healthy Aging strives to promote lifelong health and well-being.
University Park, PA 16802
healthyaging@psu.edu
(814) 865-1710
