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Pitt Leads the Way in Research on Aging

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Pittsburgh's population is among the country's oldest. In Pitt's Aging Institute, the city also boasts one of the best groups of geriatric researchers in the United States.

 

 

Extensive resources for geriatric research combined with the Pittsburgh’s senior-heavy demographic make Pitt a national model for aging science and clinical programs. Charles Reynolds, director of the Aging Institute, calls Pitt’s opportunity to be a leader in the field “second to none.” See a Pitt Chronicle story about the various ways Pitt leads the way in aging research and practice.

As part of his research, Neil Resnick, Pitt's Thomas Detre Professor of Medicine and chief of UPMC's Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, works to dispel myths surrounding one of the most common syndromes affecting older adults—incontinence. Resnick’s research has shown that incontinence is not part of normal aging or dementia and has uncovered more effective ways to treat it. Read a Pittsburgh Post-Gazette story about Resnick’s research.

The gerontology program at Pitt’s University Center for Social and Urban Research (UCSUR) focuses on social effects of aging. In a recent study of 1,330 older married couples, UCSUR found that husbands whose wives reported high levels of suffering were nearly twice as likely to have cardiovascular disease and depression compared with those whose wives did not report suffering. Explore research at UCSUR’s gerontology program and read a portrait of aging in Pittsburgh from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette featuring UCSUR director Richard Schulz.

In Pitt's School of Social Work, initiatives llike the Hartford Partnership Program for Aging Education help to train social work professionals to serve older adults. Learn about social work's aging initiatives and programs.