Research
Research News:
Feeling in control helps beat daily stress.
A new Penn State study finds that feeling more control over everyday stressors makes people significantly more likely to resolve them—and this effect grows stronger with age.
Research News:
Night waking impacts cognitive performance regardless of sleep duration.
Older adults who were awake more during the night performed worse on cognitive tests the next day, no matter how long they slept.
Our Research
The Center for Healthy Aging conducts multidisciplinary research that advances understanding of health and well-being across adulthood.
Our research encompasses the following themes:
Foundations of Healthy Aging in Young and Middle Adulthood
Faculty explore the impact of relationships, education, and work, including factors such as adverse childhood experience, stress, sleep, and substance use.
Science of Daily Life
Faculty delve into the physiological, emotional, social, cognitive, and behavioral aspects of daily life that influence the aging process, health, and overall well-being.
Cognitive Aging and Brain Health
Researchers examine how cognitive function changes through adulthood and is influenced by various risk factors, including stress, physical inactivity, social isolation, substance use, air quality, extreme weather, and social determinants of health.
Interventions for Healthy Aging
Faculty develop and test behavioral interventions to promote and maintain health, cognition, everyday functioning, and emotional wellbeing throughout adulthood.
Mobile Cognitive Health
Researchers utilize mobile devices to measure subtle changes in cognitive function, including the early identification of Alzheimer’s and related dementias.
Families and Health
Faculty examine the critical role of close relationships in healthy aging, including the study of how family members can positively or negatively influence chronic illness management and engagement in healthy long-term behaviors.
Health Disparities
Faculty explore the impact of diversity in aging, considering factors such as race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and sexual orientation, with the goal of understanding the unique challenges faced by minority older adult populations.