The Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) is one step closer toward its goal. One year after opening its doors, the Sherbrooke Data Collection Site is celebrating 1,000 recruited participants for the study.

The Sherbrooke site opened and commenced operations in spring 2012. It is located in Sherbrooke’s Research Centre on Aging located at the D’Youville site of Health and Social Services Centre – University Institute of Geriatrics Foundation of Sherbrooke (HSSC-UIGS). The data collection sites are central to the research done by CLSA. These sites are where all of the face-to-face tests are completed.

In total, Sherbrooke will welcome 3,000 participants over a three-year period. After participants are recruited and complete a home interview, they are scheduled to visit the data collection site. This visit lasts approximately 2 ½ hours and examines physical, psychological, social and lifestyle factors through various test methods. Among these are visual and hearing tests, strength and mobility assessments, memory tests, as well as the optional collection of blood and urine samples. The data gathered from these tests will be available for use by researchers at a later date.

“The data collected over 20 years will help us shed light on causes of disease and disability as well as help us understand why some people stay healthy as they get older and other people develop health problems,” said Hélène Payette, lead investigator at the Sherbrooke site and a professor of the Department of Community Health Sciences at the Université de Sherbrooke. “We are thankful for the contributions of our participants and staff. This milestone would not have been possible without their commitment.”

Sherbrooke site staff celebrating their 1,000th participant.