Author: Scientia Professor Kaarin Anstey, CEPAR Co-Deputy Director, ARC Laureate Fellow, and Scientia Professor of Psychology, UNSW Sydney
This month we are delighted to see research on issues relating to ageing and diversity.
CEPAR Associate Investigator Dr Brooke Brady has led novel research that evaluated dementia risk factors in middle-aged and older adults according to sex and gender identity. The findings suggest that transgender and non-binary adults may be at higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease – due to key risk factors being more prevalent in this population. This indicates a need for tailored interventions and health services.
Another important paper from CEPAR Associate Investigator Dr Kim Kiely’s group evaluated inequalities in healthy life expectancy and healthy working life expectancy. To achieve longer working lives, workplaces will need to become more supportive of mature-age workers, including accommodating long-term health conditions, according to the study.
Both of these papers have implications for policy related to healthy ageing in Australia, the importance of which was underlined by the publication of the Intergenerational Report last week.
We also congratulate CEPAR Chief Investigator Professor Michael Sherris and PhD student Robert Annabel who have won awards for their work – Robert Annabel is one of only four recipients of the 2023 Brian Gray Scholarship, and Michael Sherris has been recognised with the APRIA Kyobo Life Contribution Award.