Two CLSA researchers have been recognized for their contributions to research on aging by the Canadian Association on Gerontology (CAG).
Dr. Verena Menec, Manitoba site lead for the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), has been named a CAG Distinguished Member, recognizing her dedication to improving the lives of older Canadians.
Menec, a professor in the Department of Community Health Services at the Rady College of Medicine and former director of the Centre on Aging at the University of Manitoba, was instrumental in many aspects of the global age-friendly movement from its inception with the World Health Organization. In Manitoba, she led a large team study which ultimately created a framework for age-friendly initiatives in communities across the province, and her work continues today.
Her main research interests lie in the areas of healthy aging, determinants of healthy aging, social isolation and loneliness, and age-friendly communities as a way to promote healthy aging. She is currently studying the impacts of COVID-19 on isolated seniors.
Dr. Theodore Cosco, co-lead for the CLSA site at Simon Fraser University, received the CAG New Investigator Award for his research on mental health and aging. He is an assistant professor in SFU’s Department of Gerontology and associate director of the SFU Gerontology Research Centre.
His research interests include a variety of topics in healthy aging and mental health, including well-being, resilience, social isolation and loneliness. His research aims to address the negative impacts of poor mental health broadly, but also in context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
