University of Arizona Innovations in Healthy Aging 2023 Summit

Innovations in healthy aging summit 2022

As growing numbers of Americans live longer, expanded support from a variety of disciplines is critical to meet the needs of a diverse AGING POPULATION. Our annual conference in Washington, D.C., bridges academia and industry with collaborations through leading organizations and government agencies to bring creative solutions to wellness, education, and the workforce across the lifespan.

Photos from the IHA Summit 2023

Sessions & Panels

Welcome and Opening Remarks

0:00 | Summit Introduction - Tara Sklar, JD, MPH, Faculty Director, Health Law & Policy, Arizona Law, University of Arizona, and Senior Advisor for Innovations in Healthy Aging
6:22 | Opening Remarks - Kathleen Insel PhD, RN, Director, Innovations in Healthy Aging, Professor and Interim Dean, College of Nursing
13:51 | Introducing the Coit Center for Longevity and Neurotherapeutics - Rick G. Schnellmann, PhD, Howard J. Schaeffer Endowed Chair in Pharmaceutical Sciences, R. Ken Coit College of Pharmacy; Professor, Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Arizona
22:36 | Mark Kelly, United States Senator of Arizona
26:01 | Leveraging Resources and Networks to Support Healthy Aging Research - Lindsay A. Goldman, LMSW, Chief Executive Officer, Grantmakers In Aging

Arts and Aging: Enhancing Well-Being Through Creative Engagement

Engaging in creative activities to promote prosocial emotions and lead to a healthier aging experience.

1:46 | Sydney Streightiff, MM, Ph.D. Student, Applied Intercultural Arts Research, College of Fine Arts, University of Arizona
12:11 | Tyler Meier, MFA, Executive Director, University of Arizona Poetry Center

Session 1: Social Isolation and Belonging

Increasing social connection to reduce loneliness and social isolation.

0:54 | Moderator introduces study - Tyler Meier MFA, Executive Director, University of Arizona Poetry Center
12:09 | Project 1: Virtual Experiences to Reduce Loneliness and Psychosocial Distress Among Older Black Church Members - Kelly Palmer, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Health Promotion Sciences, College of Public Health; and Associate Director, UAHS Health Disparities Research Center, University of Arizona
26:03 | Discussant: Jovier Evans, PhD, Branch Chief, Geriatrics and Aging Processes Research, NIMH
31:40 | Q&A
43:42 | Moderator: Introduce the next study
44:45 | Project 2: Exploring and Identifying Communities Where I Belong: Arts-Based, Person-Centered Book Making Workshop - Yumi Shirai, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, University of Arizona
1:07:30 | Discussant: Margaret Nygren, EdD, FAAIDD, Executive Director/CEO, American Association on Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
1:18:33 | Q&A and concluding remarks

Session 2: Smart and Adaptive Built Environments

Supporting the needs of older adults through adaptation and innovation in
the built environment.

1:46 | Moderator introduces study - Nancy Pollock-Ellwand, PhD, FCSLA, Dean, College of Architecture, Planning & Landscape Architecture and Professor, Landscape Architecture, University of Arizona
16:41 | Project 1: Personal Thermal Comfort Management and Minimized Building Energy Consumption via Ambient Light Exposure for Optimal Thermal Comfort in Older Adults - J. Ray Runyon, Ph.D., Assistant Research Professor, Department of Environmental Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, University of Arizona
30:02 | Discussant: Jin Yu, PhD, Director of Machine Learning, Signify
35:05 | Q&A
45:55 | Moderator: Introduce the next study
46:13 | Project 2: The Virtual Supermarket: A New Environment for Studying Spatial Behavior in Healthy Aging and Disease - Paul Hill, Ph.D., Research Scientist, Department of Psychology, College of Science, University of Arizona
1:04:19 | Discussant: Martin Wiener, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychology and Bioengineering, George Mason University
1:12:23 | Q&A and concluding remarks

Awe Interlude

0:26 | Awe website
5:43 | Poem reading

Session 3: Improving the Healthspan

Seeking novel ways to treat and prevent age-related disease to extend the
Healthspan.

1:33 | Moderator introduces study - Carol Barnes, PhD, Professor, Psychology and Director, Evelyn F. McKnight Brain Institute, University of Arizona
14:02 | Project 1: Tumor-Specific T-cell Responses in Skin Cancer with Aging - Janko Nikolich, MD, PhD, Professor and Department Head, Department of Immunobiology, College of Medicine and Co-Director, Arizona Center on Aging, University of Arizona
31:28 | Discussant: Mulualem Tilahun, PhD, Health Scientist Administrator, NIA Immunology
35:34 | Q&A
46:06 | Project 2: Treatment of Language in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) Combining Behavioral Therapy with Noninvasive Neuromodulation Informed by Measures of Neural Responsiveness - Aneta Kielar, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences, College of Science, University of Arizona
1:05:45 | Discussant: Tabassum Majid, PhD, MAgS, Program Officer, Healthcare Delivery, and
Disparities Research (HDDR) Program, PCORI
1:17:55 | Q&A and concluding remarks

Concluding Remarks: From Vision to Reality: Collaborating for Breakthroughs in Research

1:21 | Esther Sternberg, MD, Professor, Medicine; Inaugural Andrew Weil Chair for Research in Integrative Medicine and Associate Director for Biomedical and Environmental Research, Innovations in Healthy Aging
11:19 | Mindy Fain, MD, Professor, Medicine, and Nursing; Co-Director, Arizona Center on Aging and Associate Director for Education, Care, and Community Research, Innovations in Healthy Aging

Innovations in Healthy Aging: A Multidimensional Approach to Healthy Aging

Learn more about how Innovations in Healthy Aging at the University of Arizona is working to meet the challenges and needs of a rapidly aging population through supporting interdisciplinary research and collaborative community outreach programs. This slideshow was presented during the lunch break of the 2023 IHA Summit.