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PAA 2025 Presentations related to EdDem’s Critical Areas

Note: Bolded names indicate EdDem Network members

Friday

Oral: Policy Contexts and Later-Life Health | Friday, April 11, 8:00 AM – 9:15 AM

• Life Course Exposure to State Policy Liberalism Contexts and Later-Life Cognitive Health (J. Wong, Yale University; E. Zang, Yale University; J. K. Montez, Syracuse University)

Oral: Aging, Climate, and Health | Friday, April 11, 8:00 AM – 9:15 AM

• Extreme Heat, Living Alone, and Cognitive Decline: The Buffering Role of Neighborhood Social Cohesion (H. Lee, Sungkyunkwan University; K. Cagney, University of Michigan; L. Waite, University of Chicago; J. Lim, Seoul National University)
• Long-Term Exposure to Outdoor Air Pollution and Cognitive Performance: Findings From the Harmonised Cognitive Assessment Protocol Sub-Study of the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing (ELSA-HCAP) (G. Di Gessa, University College London; M. Bloomberg, University College London; J. Lee, University of Southern California; S. Adar; P. Zaninotto)

Poster Session: Aging and the Life Course / Applied Demography | Friday, April 11, 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

• Does the Association Between Educational Attainment and Cognition Vary by Indigenous Language Speakers and Non-Indigenous Language Speakers in Mexico? (A. Lopez, Arizona State University; C. Sheehan, Arizona State University; J. Saenz, Arizona State University; N. Quashie, University of Rhode Island; M. Farina, University of Texas at Austin)
• Chronic Conditions and Cognitive Functioning Among Older Mexicans: Impact of Social Leisure Activities (M. Monserud, University of Houston)
• Sibling Status and Dementia Risk in Later Life (J. Wang, Purdue University; H. Liu, Purdue University; W. Zhang, Purdue University)
• Educational Disparities in Dementia Incidence and Health Care Utilization: Evidence From a Cohort Study in Italy (A. Cristofalo, Sapienza University of Rome; S. Cascini, Lazio Regional Health Service; G. Cesaroni, Lazio Regional Health Service; E. Trappolini, Sapienza University of Rome; N. Agabiti, Lazio Regional Health Service; A. M. Bargagli, Lazio Regional Health Service)
• Life Course Determinants of Mental and Cognitive Health in Vietnam (X. Ma, University of California Berkeley; W. Dow, University of California, Berkeley; Y. Saito, Nihon University)
• Association Between Personality Traits and Cognitive Function for U.S. Older Adults: The Mediating Role of Education and Health Behaviors (Y-J Su, University of Massachusetts Boston; E. Dugan, University of Massachusetts Boston; J. Avila, University of Massachusetts Boston)
• Does Age-Friendly Infrastructure Predict Better Cognitive Functioning Among Older Adults Living Alone? (Y. Xiangyuan, Sungkyunkwan University; H. Lee, Sungkyunkwan University)
• Environmental and Geo-Social Factors in Development of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia (G. Husted, University of California, Santa Barbara; E. Ackert, University of California, Santa Barbara; S. Cassels, University of California Santa Barbara; B. Bendlin, University of Wisconsin-Madison)
• Associations of Early-Life Risk Factors With Racial Disparities in Incident Dementia Among Older Americans, 1998–2018 (Y. Wang, Yale University; Z. Lin, University of Illinois at Chicago; X. Chen, Yale University)
• Social Isolation and Cognitive Decline in Mid- to Later Life in China: A Multidimensional Approach (J. He, University of Texas at San Antonio; Z. Lin, University of Texas at San Antonio)
• How Do Neighborhood Environments Affect Cognitive Health Among Older Adults in China? (C. Han, University of Texas Medical Branch; J. Zhang, University of Manchester; N. Zhou, Case Western Reserve University)
• Spousal Loss, Friends, and Cognitive Trajectories (Z. Zhang, Michigan State University; H. Liu, Purdue University; N. Hsieh, Michigan State University)
• Aging in the Digital Era: Social Media Engagement and Cognitive Health Trajectories Among American Older Adults (X. Zhu, Baylor University)
• Longitudinal Sleep Quality and Cognitive Performance: Investigating Dementia Risk Pathways in Older Adults in the HAALSA Study (T. Taporoski, Harvard University; M. Zheng, Harvard University; X. Gomez-Olive Casas, University of the Witwatersrand; S. Tollman, University of Witwatersrand; L. Berkman, Harvard Center for Population and Development Studies; D. Bassil, Harvard University)

Flash Talk: Aging Alone | Friday, April 11, 9:30 AM – 10:45 AM

• Lack of Kin, Living Alone, and Risk of Dementia Onset (J. Applegate, Bowling Green State University)

Flash Talk: Consequences of Early-Life Adversities | Friday, April 11, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM

• Cognition After Armed Conflict: War-Related Adversities in Early Life, Biosocial Mediators, and Late Life Cognitive Function Among Northern Vietnamese War Survivors (K. Korinek, University of Utah; Z. Zimmer, Mount Saint Vincent University; Y. Young, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research; O. Meyer, University of California, Davis; B. Teerawichitchainan, National University of Singapore)
• Early-Life Parental Relationship Quality and Cognitive Function in Later Life: Mediating Role of Social Resources? (W. Zhang, Purdue University; M. Bell, Purdue University; M. Sauerteig-Rolston, Regenstrief Institute, Inc.; K. Ferraro)

Poster Session: Health and Health Behavior | Friday, April 11, 1:45 PM – 3:15 PM

• Preserving the Mind: How Housing Wealth Slows Cognitive Decline for Older Adults in China (Z. Wang, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; T. Hu, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign; E. Zang, Yale University)
• Mapping the Cognitive Consequences of Education–Occupation Mismatch Across the Life Course (L. Hsu, University of Wisconsin, Madison; E. Grodsky, University of Wisconsin; J. Warren, University of Minnesota)
• Cognitively Healthy Life Expectancy in India (S. Mani, Johns Hopkins University; Y. Zhang, Columbia University; L. Kobayashi, University of Michigan; A. Gross, JHU)
• Racial/Ethnic Disparities in Housing Instability and Cognitive Decline (G. Sharp, Dartmouth College; C. Paolini, Dartmouth College)
• Sleep Quality and Cognitive Life Expectancy in the United States (C-T Chiu, Academia Sinica; C-A Chen, Academia Sinica; J. Wang, Purdue University; M. B. Ofstedal, Institute for Social Research, University of Michigan)
• Multidimensional Social Mobility and Later-Life Cognitive Health: Evidence From the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study (Y. Qin, University of Wisconsin – Madison; W. Fan, Boston College)
• Intersecting Pathways: Understanding Dementia, Hearing Loss, and Health Disparities (D. Stonkute, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research)

Saturday

Oral: Cross-Country Comparisons in Cognitive Aging | Saturday, April 12, 8:00 AM – 9:15 AM

• Association of Household Wealth and Cognitive Function by Gender and Country of Residence: An Intersectionality Analysis of Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol Network in China, England, Mexico, South Africa, India, and the United States (X. Yu, Columbia University; L. Paloma Rojas-Saunero, Department of Epidemiology, Fielding School of Public Health, UCLA, Los Angeles; T-C Cho; K. Kezios, Columbia University; A. Zeki Al Hazzouri; L. Kobayashi, University of Michigan; R. Chen, Boston University)
• Educational Disparities in Cognitive Health Expectancies Across Gender in 10 European Countries (D. Stonkute, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research; A. Lorenti, Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research; J. M. Hale, University of St Andrews)

Poster Session: Neighborhoods and Communities/Race and Ethnicity/Legal Institutions | Saturday, April 12, 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

• Another Hispanic Paradox? Longer Survival in the Household Population Among Older Hispanic Adults With Dementia (Y. Xiong, University of Maryland, College Park; M. Rendall, University of Maryland-College Park; H. Jackson, University of Maryland)

Oral: Family/Social Ties and Cognitive Aging | Saturday, April 12, 9:30 AM – 10:45 AM

• Does my Child’s Education Reduce my Risk of Dementia? (E. Meza, Harvard University; K. R. Flores Romero, University of California, San Francisco; I. E. Allen, University of California, San Francisco; H. Gonzalez, University of California, San Diego; M. Glymour, Boston University; J. Torres, University of California, San Francisco)
• Does the Relationship Between Offspring Education and Parental Dementia Onset Differ Between Stepfamilies and Biological Families? (J. Yahirun, Bowling Green State University; J. Applegate, Bowling Green State University; K. Mossakowski, University of Hawaii at Manoa; M. Hayward, University of Texas at Austin)
• What Is a Cognitively Protective Network and Who Gets One? Bridging, Sex Diversity, and Embeddedness Against Dementia (E. Bessega, University of Chicago; B. Cornwell, Cornell Univeristy)
• Parental Dementia and Mental Health Trajectories of Black and White Adult Children (H. Wang, Syracuse University)

Poster Session: Mortality and Morbidity/Demography of Low- and Middle-Income Countries | Saturday, April 12, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

• From Growth to Cognition: The Long-Term Influence of Early-Life Nutritional Indicators and Body Composition Trajectories on Midlife Cognition Patterns (Y. Rueda Guevara, University of Pennsylvania; J. Behrman, University of Pennsylvania; M. Ramirez-Zea, Institute of Nutrition of Central America and Panama (INCAP))
• Joint Associations Between Sensory Impairment, Cognition, and Mortality: A Population-Based Study (J. Weiss, NYU Grossman School of Medicine)

Poster Session: Education, Work, and Economic Inequality | Saturday, April 12, 1:45 PM – 3:15 PM

• The Great Equalizer and Cognitive Skills in Midlife: Does College Attendance Compensate for Early-Life Social Inequalities? (K. Vachuska, University of Wisconsin-Madison; E. Grodsky, University of Wisconsin; J. Warren, University of Minnesota)
• Exposure to Heat and Student Cognitive Functioning (Y. G. Vidogbena, University of Houston)

Oral: Climate Migration, Morbidity, and Mortality Dynamics | Sunday, April 13, 2:00 PM – 3:15 PM

• Heat Stress Exposure, Resource Saving, and Cognitive Decline Among Older Adults in China (J. Gong, Harvard University; A. Zhai, Duke University.)

Oral: Education and Cognitive Aging | Sunday, April 13, 3:30 PM – 4:45 PM

• APOE Genotype and Cognitive Decline: Education Context as a Moderator of Genetic Risk (K. Walsemann, University of Maryland, College Park and the Maryland Population Research Center; H. Jackson, University of Maryland; J. Boardman, University of Colorado; P. Herd, Georgetown University)
• Greater Opportunities, Greater Cognition? Educational Attainment and Gender Differences in Cognitive Health Across the Lifespan (M. Andersson, Baylor University; M. Coleman, University of Utah; M. Schafer, Baylor University; C. Harnois, Wake Forest University)
• School Mobility Variations by Racial Composition and School Region in the 1930s–1960s: Implications for Late-Life Cognition (W. Yu, Duke University; J. Smith, University of Michigan)
• Educational Attainment, School Quality, and Midlife Cognitive Functioning: Differing Associations by Childhood Socioeconomic Status? (F. Bolz, University of Minnesota; J. Warren, University of Minnesota; E. Grodsky, University of Wisconsin; C. Muller, University of Texas)

Sunday

Oral: International Cognitive Aging | Sunday, April 13, 9:00 AM – 10:15 AM

• The Association of Education and Net Worth on Cohort Differences in Cognitive Function in México (J. Ponce, University of California, Los Angeles; H. Beltrán-Sánchez, University of California Los Angeles)
• Cognitive Decline and Life Course Patterns: Evidence From Longitudinal Aging Study in India (LASI) (K. Arora; S. Basu, University of Wisconsin – Madison; V. Gawai, University of Wisconsin-Madison; L. Schmitz, University of Wisconsin “Madison)
• Lifetime Occupational Complexity and Cognitive Function in Older Adults: Evidence From 35-Year Employment Histories in Chile (M. Delaporte, University of Pennsylvania)

Oral: Inequality and the Early Life Course | Sunday, April 13, 9:00 AM – 10:15 AM

• Life Course Pathways From Socioeconomic Status Early in Life to Cognitive Function in Midlife: The Role of Occupational Characteristics (M. Zhang, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Y. C. Yang, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; W. Y. S. Ng, Columbia University; Y. Zhang, Columbia University)

Oral: Intersectionality: Measurement and Implications for Health Equity | Sunday, April 13, 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM

• Later-Life Cognition at the Intersection of Country, Gender, and Occupation (S. Mani, Johns Hopkins University; K. Kezios, Columbia University; M. Delaporte, University of Pennsylvania; T-C Cho; L. P. R. Saunero, UCLA; J. Weuve, Boston University; J. Avila-Rieger, Columbia University; L. Kobayashi, University of Michigan)

Oral: Geography/State Context and Cognitive Aging | Sunday, April 13, 10:30 AM – 11:45 AM

• Education and Age-Specific Trends in Cognitive Difficulties Across U.S. States, 2008–2022 (M. Farina, University of Texas at Austin; S. Martino, Norwegian University of Science and Technology; A. Riebler, Norwegian University of Science and Technology; A. Zajacova, University of Western Ontario)
• State Social Safety Net Context in Early Life and Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias for Older Adults (R. Donnelly, Vanderbilt University; A. Schoenbachler, Vanderbilt University)
• Geographic Disparities in Cognitive Life Expectancy: The Role of Birth and Current Residence in the United States (J. Wong, Yale University; E. Zang, Yale University)
• Place of Birth and Cognitive Life Expectancies: The Role of Education (M. Topping, University of Wisconsin-Madison)

Poster Session: Data and Methods/Other | Sunday, April 13, 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM

• Social Networks and Cognition in Older Adulthood: A Marginal Structural Model Approach (J. Iveniuk, NORC at the University of Chicago; H. Liu, Purdue University)
• Predictive Modeling of Cognitive Function: A Comparative Analysis of Machine Learning Techniques (C-H Yang, The Pennsylvania State University; M. Masum, University at Albany – SUNY; S. Saha, The Pennsylvania State University; M. Farooque, The Pennsylvania State University)
• Analytic Methods for Health Disparities in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementia (I. Akushevich, Duke University; A. Yashkin, Duke University; J. Kravchenko, Duke University School of Medicine)

Oral: Intergenerational Families and Health | Sunday, April 13, 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM

• Examining Longitudinal Relationships Between Social Support and Strain in Relationships With Children: Effects on Older Adult Cognitive Functioning (J. Caputo, Westat; L. Waite, University of Chicago; K. Cagney, University of Michigan)

Oral: Health Shocks and Cognitive Aging | Sunday, April 13, 12:00 PM – 1:15 PM

• Food Deprivation and Cognitive Function Among Adults Aged 55 and Older in the United States and India (S. Chauhan, Florida State University; D. Carr, Florida State University; M. Taylor, Florida State University; A. Sonnega, Coordinating Center for the NIA Centers on Demography Econ)
• Memory Trajectories Before and After a Negative Wealth Shock: The United States Health and Retirement Study, 1998–2020 (T-C Cho; A. Westrick, University of Michigan; S. Adar, University of Michigan; H. Choi, University of Michigan; K. Langa, University of Michigan; L. Kobayashi, University of Michigan)
• Crime Exposure, Dementia Incidence, and Racial and Ethnic Disparities Among Middle-Aged and Older Americans (J. He, Yale University; Z. Lin, University of Illinois at Chicago; Y. Zhang, East Carolina University; Y. Wang, University of Wisconsin – Madison; X. Chen, Yale University)
• The Long Arm of Divorce and Death: Loss, Loneliness, and Memory in Mid- and Later Life (J. E. Stokes, University of Massachusetts Boston; E. Pugh, Ohio State University; E. Briggs, University of Michigan; G. Lee, University of Wisconsin; A. Leggett, Wayne State University; M. López-Anuarbe, Connecticut College)

Coffee & Conversation Networking Event at PAA 2025

Join us for coffee, breakfast, and casual networking with EdDem Network members at PAA!

Location: A Baked Joint (430 K St NW, Washington, DC 20001)
Date: Friday, April 11th, 2025
Time: 8:30-10:30 a.m.

RSVP – Email: [email protected]

EdSHARe Workshop at PAA 2025

Looking for cohort data collected from large, diverse, nationally representative samples of Americans followed from high school through mid/late life?

This data is ideal for studying the social and biological pathways through which education and other early life factors shape later-life cognition and health. The Education Studies for Healthy Aging (EdSHARe) project has you covered and is offering a workshop at the 2025 Population Association of America Annual Meeting!

During the workshop, we will highlight the many research efforts supported by our datasets, guide participants through the project’s goals, and demonstrate the process and protocols for accessing our data. Additionally, participants will have the opportunity to conceptualize how NLS:72 and HS&B:80 data can support their research goals, with hands-on assistance and insights from the EdSHARe project’s primary investigators and funders. We will also offer guidance on exploring funding opportunities to start your research using our data.

The PAA EdSHARe workshop will be held in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, April 10, from 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM EST in the Monument Room of the Marriott Marquis.

Questions about EdSHARe or the PAA workshop? Please email: [email protected].

Call for Papers: Special Issue of Social Science and Medicine

Education has long-term implications for health that are believed to last well into old age, and is also a key determinant of late-life social disparities in health. However, there is limited understanding of the causal mechanisms linking education and health in older age across different cultural, socioeconomic, and policy contexts. To improve this understanding, the Gateway to Global Aging Data and Social Science and Medicine invite submissions for a conference and special issue dedicated to interdisciplinary research studying how education influences health and ageing globally.

We welcome contributions that use rigorous empirical quantitative causal inference methods, as well as interdisciplinary perspectives from sociology, psychology, public health, economics, and beyond. We particularly encourage original articles that leverage global variation in educational trajectories and policies using longitudinal data. Use of the Gateway to Global Aging Data – which is funded by the National Institute of Aging and facilitates longitudinal and cross-country research on aging, health, retirement, and education using data from the Health and Retirement Study and its International Network of Studies – is welcomed but not required. We welcome submissions from all regions worldwide, and particularly encourage studies based in LMICs.

Submissions are encouraged to explore, but are not limited to, global research on the following themes:

• Role of education in explaining disparities in physical, mental and cognitive health
• Effects of education on cognitive decline and dementia, and the role of education in mitigating age-related cognitive impairment
• Studies that leverage cross-national or cross-state variation to understand the health impact of education policies that affect access, type and quality of education
• Impact of education on health across generations, e.g., the impact of children’s education on parent’s health, or the impact of parent’s education on offspring health
• Long-run effects of early childhood education and childcare on late-life health

The conference will take place in Boston, Massachusetts from September 4-5, 2025.

Deadlines:

March 31, 2025: Submissions due
Submissions can either be a draft manuscript or an extended abstract of up to 5 pages describing the research question and motivation, data and research methods, and preliminary results. Submissions can be made through [email protected]

May 30, 2025: Authors of accepted papers for conference will be notified. Selected authors are expected to attend the conference in September 2025, with reasonable travel expenses and attendance being sponsored by the Gateway to Global Aging.

January 16, 2026: Authors of selected papers for the special issue will be notified. All invited papers will undergo the journal’s scientific review process. Invitation to submit to the special issue does not guarantee acceptance of the invited manuscript.

Alzheimer’s Association Interdisciplinary Summer Research Institute for Early Career Researchers

Advance your career and the future of dementia research.

The Alzheimer’s Association® Interdisciplinary Summer Research Institute (AA-ISRI) is an immersive, no-cost opportunity for early career researchers in psychosocial care and public health to further their knowledge of dementia science and accelerate breakthroughs in the field. Join us in Chicago, USA, August 11-15, 2025, where experts will offer diverse perspectives on groundbreaking research through group sessions and individual mentoring.

Applications are due March 9, 2025. Twenty-four applicants will be selected for this exclusive experience. Attend AA-ISRI to:

● Gain knowledge of basic clinical and biological aspects of Alzheimer’s and dementia.

● Hone essential research skills and learn about emerging research designs and analytical methods.

● Make connections with leaders and peers in the field.

● Develop a research proposal for Association and NIH funding.

Psychosocial and public health postdoctoral students and early career researchers are eligible to attend, and individuals from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Please share this invitation with potential candidates in your network.

Submit your application now.

This opportunity is supported by the National Institutes of Health under award #1R25AG069678-01. Please note that, due to the guidelines of this NIH grant, applicants for AA-ISRI must be U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals or lawfully admitted for permanent residence. Applicants must also have completed their Ph.D., M.D., Dr.PH., or other doctoral-level degree by the time the program starts in August.

This opportunity is supported by the National Institutes of Health under award #1R25AG069678-01. Please note that, due to the guidelines of this NIH grant, applicants for AA-ISRI must be U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals or lawfully admitted for permanent residence. Applicants must also have completed their Ph.D., M.D., Dr.PH., or other doctoral-level degree by the time the program starts in August.

GSA 2024 Annual Scientific Meeting Events

Coffee & Conversation Networking Event

Join us for coffee, light breakfast and casual networking with fellow EdDem Network members at GSA!

Note NEW Location: Meet up at Victrola Coffee Roasters – 300 Pine St Suite 100, Seattle, WA 98101
Date: Thursday, November 14th, 2024
Time: 8:30-10 a.m.

EdDem Symposium at GSA: “Unpacking the Relationship Between Education and Cognitive Decline and Dementia”

This session, which brings together a set of papers from participants in the Network on Education, Biosocial Pathways, and Dementia in Diverse Populations (EdDem), attends to the relationship between education and cognitive function and dementia in later life. The papers in this session explore two major themes. First, they examine the role of early and mid-life influences on these relationships. How do exposures to poor health in early life influence both educational attainment and subsequent risk for poor cognitive outcomes in later life? How does the content of early life schooling, including the rigor of the curriculum, influence both educational attainment and subsequent risk for poor cognitive outcomes in later life? The papers also consider the role of midlife factors, including occupation, health behaviors, and health conditions, in mediating the relationship between education and later life cognitive outcomes. Finally, these papers explore how the relationship between education and later life cognition varies within and across middle- and high-income countries. Overall, this set of papers helps unpack the persistent and robust relationship between education and cognitive function and dementia in later life. Session attendees will also have the opportunity to learn about the NIH-funded EdDem network, including funding and network related opportunities.

Learning Objectives:
– After attending this session participants will be able to understand how early life factors, both health and experiences in school, shape the relationship between education and later life dementia risk.
– After attending this session participants will be able to understand how the relationship between education and dementia risk varies across countries, especially within and across middle and high income countries.

Seminar: Early-Life Experiences and Cognitive Function: Biosocial Pathways in Aging U.S. Latino Subgroups (part of the Maryland Population Research Center’s Fall 2024 lecture series)

Speaker: Catherine García, PhD, CPG*

*EdDem Affiliate and Pilot Awardee

Seminar Description: The seminar focuses on the theoretical, methodological, and analytical decision-making in examining the mediating effects of education and cardiometabolic risk scores on the relationship between early-life experiences and cognitive function among middle aged and older Latina/o/xs by cultural heritage and racial identification.

Date/Time: Monday, October 21 from 12-1pm EST

Format: In-person at 2208 LeFrak Hall at the University of Maryland, College Park (register here), or register online via Zoom here.

Speaker Bio: Catherine García, PhD, CPG is an Assistant Professor of Human Development and Family Science at Syracuse University. Dr. García also holds a secondary appointment in the Department of Sociology and is affiliated with the Aging Studies Institute, Lerner Center for Population Health and Public Health Promotion, and the Program on Latin America and the Caribbean.

Dr. García earned their PhD in Gerontology from the University of Southern California in 2020, where they received biodemography and population health training as a T32 predoctoral research fellow. This training culminated in her receiving the R36 Aging Research Dissertation Award followed by an NIA Diversity Supplement to examine the contextual effects of health among older Puerto Ricans and an R24 pilot award to examine the relationships between biosocial factors and cognitive performance among aging Latina/o/xs.

Dr. García’s research focuses on the dynamics of the aging process in Latina/o/x populations in the United States and Puerto Rico. She specifically addresses the overlooked issues of heterogeneity and variability within the Latina/o/x population using an intersectional and life course perspective. Her work aims to better understand how social conditions and statuses among Latina/o/xs become biologically embedded, influencing age-related diseases, conditions, and outcomes.

More information here

Interdisciplinary Association for Population Health Science (IAPHS)’s 2024 Conference: “Tackling declining life expectancy in the US: investigating social drivers and policy solutions”

Dates: September 10-13, 2024

Location: St. Louis, MO

EdDem Network Affiliates, including Drs. Katrina Walsemann, Hyungmin Cha, Mateo Farina, and Pamela Herd will present at the IAPHS conference in the panel below:

“Early life environments, life course pathways, and dementia risk”

Time/Date: 1:30-2:45 p.m. on Wednesday, September 11

Location: Landmark 4.

Session Description: While there is an increasingly robust, and causal, evidentiary base that education is protective against dementia, largely because of differences in baseline cognitive function rather than rates of decline, we know relatively little about the role of childhood and adolescence in shaping the education—dementia relationship, including individual and contextual factors or how these relationships vary by race. Papers in this panel will consider several early life environments and their role in dementia risk and onset. These early life environments are measured using individual assessments of adolescent cognition when respondents were in high school, state administrative data on childhood infectious disease mortality rates at the time of respondents’ birth, and state administrative data on investment in public education when older adults were in primary school. The Herd paper explores how early cognitive resources are related to Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) and non-AD dementia. The Farina paper considers early-life pathogenic environments as a potential factor in brain development and inflammatory processes that may have long-term implications for dementia risk. The Cha paper examines if states that provide higher quality schools protect against dementia onset and if it does so differentially by race.  Together, the papers in this panel will help shed light on the role of early life for dementia risk and point to possible pathways linking early-life environments to later-life dementia risk.

See the interactive agenda here for more information on each session.

Identifying Midlife Social Exposures that Might Modify Risk for Cognitive Impairment Associated with Early Life Disadvantage

Dates: Aug 29 – 30, 2024 (Workshop agenda is linked on the event page here.)

Location: Virtual or In-Person @ National Academy of Sciences, Keck Center, 500 5th St NW, Washington DC 20001

Register here.

Description: Early life disadvantages have been associated with a higher risk of dementia, but the risk may be modified by early life and midlife exposures. While attention is often given to individuals’ behavior and choices, structural and institutional forces may be more effective in addressing inequities. This workshop will examine what measures, data infrastructure needs, and analytic measures can advance understanding of how midlife social exposures can address early life risk factors.

Please join us for a two-day public workshop to discuss the state of knowledge and identify conceptual approaches to guide research on better understanding midlife exposures that may be modifiable in reducing the risk of later-life dementia.

EdDem Network Directors Pam Herd and Katrina Walsemann will be participating as speakers in the workshops.

Pre-PAA Workshop on the Education Studies for Healthy Aging (EdSHARe) data

Scholarships available to attend.

Looking for cohort data collected from large, diverse, nationally-representative samples of Americans followed from high school through mid/late life that are ideal for studying the social and biological pathways through which education and other early life factors shape later life cognition and health? The Education Studies for Healthy Aging (EdSHARe) project has you covered… and they are offering a workshop about the data prior to the Population Association of America (PAA) meetings… and they are offering up to 18 scholarships to attend the workshop for free!

The pre-PAA EdSHARe workshop will be held on Wednesday, 4/17 from 1pm to 5pm ET.

Questions about EdSHARe, the pre-PAA workshop, or this scholarship? Please email [email protected].

Coffee & Conversation Networking Event

Join us for coffee, light breakfast and casual networking with fellow EdDem Network members and Amelia Karraker from the NIA!

• Location: Freedom a la Cart Cafe & Bakery (123 E Spring Street, Columbus, OH 43215)
• Date: Friday, April 19th, 2024
• Time: 8:30-10 a.m.

PAA 2024 Presentations related to EdDem’s Critical Areas

Note: Bolded names indicate EdDem Network members

Flash Talk: Socioeconomic Disparities and Underrepresented Populations in Aging and Health | Thursday, April 18, 8:00 AM – 9:15 AM

• Neighborhood Characteristics and Trajectories of Dementia Risk Among Older Adults (W. Qin, University of Wisconsin–Madison; D. Byrd, Arizona State University)
• Cohort Change and Life Course Socioeconomic Differences in Cognitive Health Trajectories (H. Cha, University of Southern California; M. Hayward, University of Texas at Austin)

Poster Session: Aging and the Life Course | Thursday, April 18, 8:30 AM – 10:00 AM

• Cognitive Functioning and Social Connectedness Among Older Couples: Dyadic Evidence From the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (M. Li; M. Engelman, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Y. Li, University of Chicago)
• The Effects of HBCU Attendance Among Black College-Goers on Later Life Physical Health, Mental Health, Cognitive Functioning, And Mortality (R. Arias Achio, University of Minnesota; J. Warren, University of Minnesota; E. Grodsky, University of Wisconsin; C. Muller, University of Texas)
• Does Educational Attainment Improve Cognitive Functioning of Older Tribal Population in India? (N. Kumari, International Institute for Population Sciences; N. Saikia, International Institute for Population Sciences)

Flash Talk: Cognitive Health and Dementia | Thursday, April 18, 9:30 AM – 10:45 AM

• Underestimating the Relationship: Unpacking Both Socioeconomic Resources and Cognitive Function and Decline in Mid- to Later Life (P. Herd, Georgetown University; K. Walsemann, University of Maryland)
• Conceptualizing Offspring Educational (Dis)advantage and Its Relationship to Parents’ Dementia Onset (J. Yahirun, Bowling Green State University; J. Applegate, Bowling Green State University; K. Mossakowski, University of Hawaii at Manoa)
• Dual Functionality in Social Context: Social Predictors of Co-Occurring Cognitive and Functional Health in the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (A. Goldman, Boston College; A. Kotwal, University of California, San Francisco; L. Waite, University of Chicago)
• Gender, Educational, and Subnational Differences in Cognition and Contributing Factors in India (A. Perianayagam, Qatar University; R. Dhandona, Public Health Foundation of India; P. Zanwar, Thomas Jefferson University; S. Y, SRM Institute of Technology ; D. Gudekar, International Institute for Population Sciences ; S. Salvi, International Institute for Population Sciences; S. Surpam, International Institute for Population Sciences)
• Exposure to Occupational Strain Across the Life Course and Cognitive Disparities by Gender and Race/Ethnicity (M. Sheftel, Pennsylvania State University; N. Goldman, Princeton University; A. Pebley, University of California-Los Angeles; B. Pratt, Princeton University; S. Park, University of Massachusetts Boston)
• The Long-Run Impact of Free Education on Late-Life Cognitive Function: Evidence From Ireland (C. Kieny, Unisanté; M. Avendano, University of Lausanne; Y. Ma; A. Nolan)

Oral: Cognitive Aging and Dementia in Low- and Middle-Income Countries | Friday, April 19, 8:00 AM – 9:15 AM

• Spousal Education and Cognitive Trajectories among Chinese Couples: A Longitudinal Actor-Partner Interdependence Model Analysis (Y. Guo, Xi’an Jiaotong University; Z. Zhang, Michigan State University; P. Philip, Michigan State University; Q. Jiang, Xi’an Jiaotong University)

Oral: Novel Perspectives on Late-Life Employment | Friday, April 19, 9:30 AM – 10:45 AM

• Does Type, Timing, and Duration of Life Course Non-Employment Differentially Predict Dementia Risk and Cognitive Decline? A Novel Application of Sequence Analysis (L. Pacca, UCSF; A. Vable; A. Harrati, Mathematica)

Oral: State and Neighborhood Influences on Health | Friday, April 19, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM

• The Role of Education in Regional Variation in Prevalence of Dementia and Cognitive Impairment No Dementia: An Examination of Both Educational Attainment and Education Context (J. Ailshire, University of Southern California; M. Farina, Assistant Professor; H. Jackson, University of Maryland; K. Walsemann, University of Maryland)
• The Long-Term Impact of Place of Birth on Later Life Cognitive Health: Evidence and Insights From the Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol (Z. Lin, Yale University; X. Chen, Yale University)

Oral: Aging in Middle- and Low-Income Countries | Friday, April 19, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM

• Comparisons of Socioeconomic Predictors of Cognition Among Older Adults in Chile and Mexico (S. Mani, Johns Hopkins University; M. Delaporte, University of Pennsylvania; B. O’Grady, University of Texas Medical Branch; J. Bardales, University of Pennsylvania; J. Behrman, University of Pennsylvania; D. Bravo, Catholic University of Chile; I. Elo, University of Pennsylvania; R. Wong, University of Texas Medical Branch)

Invited Session: What Can We Learn About the Relationship Between Education and Later-Life Cognitive Outcomes From the International Family of Health and Retirement Studies and Harmonized Cognitive Assessment Protocol | Friday, April 19, 11:00 AM – 12:15 PM

• The Gateway to Global Aging Policy Initiative: Systematic Collection of Education Policy Data to Enable Global and Cross-Country Research (E. Nichols, University of Southern California)
• Do Increasing Trends in Education Explain Recent Declines in Dementia? Evidence from Compulsory Schooling Reforms in the United Kingdom (M. Avendano, University of Lausanne)
• Educational Attainment and Dementia Likelihood: A Cross-National Analysis of the United States and Mexico (J. Saenz, Arizona State University)
• Using the HCAP to Evaluate Cross-National Differences in the Relationship Between Adult Child Educational Attainment and Older Parents’ Cognitive Outcomes (J. Torres, University of California, San Francisco)

Oral: Innovative Approaches to Understanding Late-Life Health Disparities | Friday, April 19, 3:15 PM – 4:30 PM

• Work History, Work Quality, and Accelerated Aging Among Older Adults (R. Donnelly, Vanderbilt University; M. Farina, University of Southern California)
• Race and Cognitive Health Disparities Among Older Americans: Exploring the Impact of Debt–Asset Profiles in the Pre-Retirement Period (C. Lee, University of California-Riverside; D. Glei, Georgetown University; S. Park, University of California-Riverside)
• Increasing Child’s Education Improves Parent’s Dementia Risk and Educational Gradients: A Two-Generation Approach (L. Luo, Pennsylvania State University; J. Xu; J. Warren, University of Minnesota; K. Langa, University of Michigan)

Poster Session: Education, Employment, and Inequality | Friday, April 19, 3:30 PM – 5:00 PM

• The Role of State-Level Educational Quality in Shaping Dementia Mortality (E. Kerr, University of Maryland, College Park; H. Jackson, University of Maryland, College Park; M. Hayward, University of Texas at Austin; K. Walsemann, University of Maryland, College Park)