GSA on Aging

Scientist-citizens are committed to proactive public engagement that improves understanding of science and policies that support all of us as we age. In this episode, GSA CEO James Appleby welcomes Leana Wen, MD, MSc, FAAEM, an emergency physician, adjunct associate professor at The George Washington University, and a contributing columnist for The Washington Post.

Transcript

Speaker

• Leana Wen, MD, MSc, FAAEM, Emergency Physician; Adjunct Associate Professor, The George Washington University; and Contributing Columnist, The Washington Post

Host

• James Appleby, BSPharm, MPH, ScD (Hon), Chief Executive Officer, Gerontological Society of America

Scientist-citizens are committed to proactive public engagement that improves understanding of science and policies that support all of us as we age. In this episode, GSA CEO James Appleby and President Tamara Baker welcome Reed V. Tuckson, MD, FACP, the co-convener and chair of the board of the Coalition For Trust In Health & Science.

Transcript

Speaker

• Reed Tuckson, MD, FACP, Co-Founder and Chair of the Board, Coalition For Trust In Health & Science

Hosts

• James Appleby, BSPharm, MPH, ScD (Hon), Chief Executive Officer, Gerontological Society of America
• Tamara A. Baker, MA, PhD, Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, GSA President

This episode explores the latest data and policy potential presented by the National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) and AARP's Caregiving in the US 2025 Report. For example, this data reveals a significant and growing cohort, with nearly 1 in 4 Americans now dedicated to family care—a 45% increase that represents a massive opportunity for social and economic innovation. This podcast will also preview NAC’s upcoming Caregiver Nation Summit in November 5th and 6th. This convening will bring together 100+ national leaders from caregiving, disability, and aging sectors to co-create the next generation of supportive policies.

Transcript

Speaker

• Jason Resendez, National Alliance for Caregiving, President and CEO

Host

• Trish D’Antonio, GSA Vice-President of Policy and Professional Affairs

Resources

• National Alliance for Caregiving
• Act on RAISE
• Caregiver Nation Network
• Caregiver Nation Summit
• Caregiving in the US 2025 Report

Social isolation, loneliness, and social health are emerging as key determinants of health across the life course. Join GSA's 2025 Public Policy Intern Apoorva Rangan and Morgan Bailie, Policy Director at the Foundation for Social Connection Action Network, this Policy Profile Podcast explores the evolving federal policy and research landscape around addressing these issues in our communities. Join us as we delve into this critical topic.

Transcript

Speaker

• Morgan Bailie, MPH, Policy Director, Foundation for Social Connection Action Network

Host

• Apoorva Rangan, O'Neill and Hyer Policy Intern, Gerontological Society of America

Resources

• Foundation for Social Connection Action Network
• Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation
• Older Americans Act Reauthorization
• Global Initiative on Loneliness and Connection
• GSA Reconciliation Summary

Join this Policy Profile Podcast that examines the latest policy activities impacting research around Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD). Patricia D’Antonio, GSA’s Vice-President for Policy and Professional Affairs, and Ian Kremer, Executive Director of the Leaders Engaged on Alzheimer’s Disease (LEAD) Coalition, offer insights into the latest federal actions and what to expect in Congress this year around ADRD.

Resources

• BOLD Act
• NAPA
• By Pass Budget
• NAPA Annual Reports
• KAER Toolkit and GSA Resources
• U.S. Pointer Study
• ADRD Summit 2025

Transcript

Speaker

Ian Kremer, JD, Executive Director of the LEAD Coalition

Host

Patricia D'Antonio, BSPharm, MS, MBA, BCGP, Vice President of Policy and Professional Affairs, GSA

As GSA and our partners celebrate Careers in Aging Month, join Patricia D’Antonio, GSA’s vice president of policy and professional affairs, and Amy York, executive director of the Eldercare Workforce Alliance, as they discuss policy implications for caregivers.

Resources

• GSA’s Careers in Aging Month
• Eldercare Workforce Alliance
• Lifespan Respite Care Reauthorization Act, S. 830 introduced on the Senate and House bill to be introduced soon
• Alleviating Barriers for Caregivers (ABC) Act to be reintroduced soon (Bill from last congress is available here)
• Family Caregiver Awareness, Resources, and Education (CARE) Partnerships Act (language here) to be introduced soon

Transcript

Speaker

Amy York, MA, executive director of the Eldercare Workforce Alliance

Host

Patricia D’Antonio, BSPharm, MS, MBA, BCGP, GSA’s vice president of policy and professional affairs

The Older Americans Act (OAA) is a landmark legislation passed with Medicare and Medicaid in 1965 to provide critical support and services to older people in the United States. With Patricia D’Antonio, GSA’s Vice President of Policy and Professional Affairs, and Amy Gotwals, USAging’s Chief of Public Policy and External Affairs, this Policy Profile Podcast explores the OAA's history, impact, and future. Join us as we delve into the OAA's programs, successes, and today’s challenges.

Resources

• Senate Version of Older Americans Act Reauthorization
• USAging: Older Americans Act Reauthorization 2024-2025
• Administration for Community Living
• Leadership Council on Aging Organizations (LCAO) Chair’s Letter on Reauthorization of the Older Americans Act
• Eldercare Locator

Transcript

Speaker

• Amy Gotwals, BA, MA Legislative Affairs, USAging, Chief, Public Policy and External Affairs

Host

• Patricia D’Antonio, BSPharm, MS, MBA, BCGP, GSA, Vice-President of Policy and Professional Affairs

Considering the Interplay of Research and Policy

The dynamic interplay between research and policy affects geriatric/gerontology practice and research. Whether researcher, practitioner, or policy maker, understanding the context of each strengthens the reach of our work.

HS SRPP joint development team included:

• Carol Geary, PhD, MBA, RN
• Julie Gordon, DrPH, CPHQ
• Jolie Harris, DNS RN
• Anju Paudel, PhD, MGS, RN

Mentorship: Part 3 of 3

This GSA Section Podcast episode is hosted by Jolie Harris, explores mentorship from the mentor and mentee perspectives with insights shared by distinguished GSA members Ann Kolanowski and Jasmine Travers.

Transcript

Speakers

• Ann Kolanowski, PhD, RN, FGSA, FAAN
• Jasmine Travers, PhD, RN

Host

• Jolie Harris, DNS RN

This podcast episode is supported by the GSA Innovation Fund.

Considering the Interplay of Research and Policy

The dynamic interplay between research and policy affects geriatric/gerontology practice and research. Whether researcher, practitioner, or policy maker, understanding the context of each strengthens the reach of our work.

HS SRPP joint development team included:

• Carol Geary, PhD, MBA, RN
• Julie Gordon, DrPH, CPHQ
• Jolie Harris, DNS RN
• Anju Paudel , PhD, MGS, RN

Using Research to Advance Policy: Part 1 of 3 (GSA Section)

This GSA Section Podcast explores the interplay between research and policy in geriatrics and gerontology featuring the work and insights of esteemed GSA members Ann Kolanowski and Jasmine Travers. Hosted by Anju Paudel.

Transcript

Speakers

• Ann Kolanowski, PhD, RN, FGSA, FAAN
• Jasmine Travers, PhD, RN

Host

• Anju Paudel, PhD, MGS, RN

This podcast episode is supported by the GSA Innovation Fund.

Considering the Interplay of Research and Policy

The dynamic interplay between research and policy affects geriatric/gerontology practice and research. Whether researcher, practitioner, or policy maker, understanding the context of each strengthens the reach of our work.

HS SRPP joint development team included:

• Carol Geary, PhD, MBA, RN
• Julie Gordon, DrPH, CPHQ
• Jolie Harris, DNS RN
• Anju Paudel, PhD, MGS, RN

Consideration of Policy Influences on Research: Part 2 of 3

This episode hosted by Julie Gordon, focuses on how policy influences research in geriatrics and gerontology. Robyn Stone and Alice Bonner, experts with decades of experience, address the “long view” of the critical interplay between policy and research.

Transcript

Speakers

• Alice Bonner, PhD, RN, FAAN, FAANP
• Robyn Stone, DrPH, FGSA, FNASI

Host

• Julie Gordon, DrPH, CPHQ

This podcast episode is supported by the GSA Innovation Fund.

The GSA Emerging Scholar and Professional Organization (ESPO) created and supports a limited podcast series called Talks With a Trailblazer. In this series, we invite leaders in the field of aging research, education, practice, and policy to share their experiences and wisdom to inspire up-and-coming GSA members and inform the general public about aging well. We will cover a variety of areas of interest, including career reviews, tips for people considering careers in aging, anecdotes from the featured trailblazers’ years of experience, and words of wisdom and practical pointers for people as they age.

In this episode, the ESPO Past Chair, Dr. Kalisha Bonds Johnson, interviews Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Dr. Tamara Baker, about her career, research, and advice for future generations.

Transcript

Speaker

• Tamara Baker, PHD, FGSA

Host

• Kalisha Bonds Johnson, PhD, RN

This podcast episode is supported by the GSA Innovation Fund.

Click here to check out our other Trailblazers podcast episode with Dr. Jim Nelson.

The GSA Emerging Scholar and Professional Organization (ESPO) created and supports a limited podcast series called Talks With a Trailblazer. In this series, we invite leaders in the field of aging research, education, practice, and policy to share their experiences and wisdom to inspire up-and-coming GSA members and inform the general public about aging well. We will cover a variety of areas of interest, including career reviews, tips for people considering careers in aging, anecdotes from the featured trailblazers’ years of experience, and words of wisdom and practical pointers for people as they age.

In this episode, the ESPO Chair, Dr. Brianna Morgan, interviews GSA Board of Directors Chair, Dr. James F. Nelson, about his career, experience with GSA, and advice for future scholars.

Download the Transcript

Guests:

• Tamara Baker, PhD, FGSA
• James Nelson, PhD, FGSA

Hosts:

• Kalisha Bonds, PhD, RN
• Brianna Morgan, PhD, CRNP

This podcast episode is supported by the GSA Innovation Fund.

Click here to view our other Trailblazers podcast episode with Dr. Tamara Baker.

This edition of GSA Policy Profile Series highlights the latest legislative activity regarding the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA), which recently was voted out of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee, an advancement that serves as a key milestone. Learn how TROA has evolved, its changes in Medicare coverage, what research has been used to advance and advocate for the Act, where TROA is headed in Congress, and what a final legislative act may look like.

Download the Transcript

Guests:

• Tracy Zvenyach, PhD, MS, RN, Director of Policy, Strategy and Alliances at the Obesity Action Coalition

Host:

• Patricia M. "Trish" D'Antonio, BSPharm, MS, MBA, BCGP, Vice President, Policy and Professional Affairs, Gerontological Society of America

Additional resources:

• GSA’s evidence-based KAER Toolkit for the Management of Obesity in Older Adults
• GSA Enrich Learning Center: Obesity and Overweight
• GSA’s Policy Advocacy
• Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (H.R. 4818)
• CDC Adult Obesity Prevalence Maps
• Trust For America’s Health State of Obesity

This podcast episode is supported by Novo Nordisk.

Understanding Person-Centered Care for Older Adults in Six Developing Countries/Regions: Thailand [Episode 6]

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The impact of population aging is universally recognized and has been extensively studied in wealthier, developed regions. But we know much less about how aging is experienced by low- and middle-income countries and populations and how these regions are responding to the challenges created by the aging of their populations. The rapid rate of population aging in many developing parts of the world—fueled by falling fertility rates and a shift in the predominance of chronic diseases rather than acute and infectious illnesses—has left little time to anticipate and prepare for the consequences of aging populations.

The GSA Interest Group on Common Data Elements for International Research in Residential Long-term Care has developed a limited podcast series to provide insights into how culture, competing population health priorities, political conflict, and resource limitations influence older adults, their families, and paid/formal caregivers along a trajectory of development, including Brazil, China, East Jerusalem, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Thailand.

Guest: Siriphan Sasat, PhD, RN, CPG
Dr. Sasat is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Nursing at Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. She is the Director of the Centre for Health and Well-being Promotion for Older People and the Chair of the Thai Long-Term Care Nurses Society. Dr. Sasat previously served as the Secretary-General for the International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Asia/Oceania Region (IAGG-AOR), and as the Vice President of the Thai Society of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine. She earned her doctoral and master’s degrees in nursing with a focus on gerontology and the care of older people at the University of Hull in the United Kingdom. Additionally, she received a baccalaureate degree in nursing and midwifery from the McCormick Faculty of Nursing, Payap University in Thailand.

Host: Barbara Bowers, PhD, RN, FAAN, FGSA, Emerita Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, School of Nursing; Founding Director of the UW–Madison School of Nursing’s Center for Aging Research and Education

Moderator:
Jing Wang, PhD, RN, FAAN, Assistant Professor at the University of New Hampshire, College of Health and Human Services

This podcast limited series is supported by the GSA Innovation Fund.

Understanding Person-Centered Care for Older Adults in Six Developing Countries/Regions: Ghana [Episode 5]

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The impact of population aging is universally recognized and has been extensively studied in wealthier, developed regions. But we know much less about how aging is experienced by low- and middle-income countries and populations and how these regions are responding to the challenges created by the aging of their populations. The rapid rate of population aging in many developing parts of the world—fueled by falling fertility rates and a shift in the predominance of chronic diseases rather than acute and infectious illnesses—has left little time to anticipate and prepare for the consequences of aging populations.

The GSA Interest Group on Common Data Elements for International Research in Residential Long-term Care has developed a limited podcast series to provide insights into how culture, competing population health priorities, political conflict, and resource limitations influence older adults, their families, and paid/formal caregivers along a trajectory of development, including Brazil, China, East Jerusalem, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Thailand.

Guest: Diana Abudu-Birresborn, PhD
Dr. Abudu-Birresborn is a doctoral graduate of the Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing, with a specialization in Health Systems Leadership and Administration and a collaborative specialization in ageing from the Institute of Life Course and Ageing, at the University of Toronto, Canada. Dr. Abudu-Birresborn has more than a decade of nursing experience in rural and urban communities of Ghana. Her doctoral work focused on the preparation of nursing students to care for older adults in Ghana. Specifically, she examined nursing students' self-efficacy in caring for older adults in acute care settings, using a mixed-method approach.

Host:
Barbara Bowers, PhD, RN, FAAN, FGSA, Emerita Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, School of Nursing; Founding Director of the UW–Madison School of Nursing’s Center for Aging Research and Education

Moderator:
Jing Wang, PhD, RN, FAAN, Assistant Professor at the University of New Hampshire, College of Health and Human Services

This podcast limited series is supported by the GSA Innovation Fund.

Understanding Person-Centered Care for Older Adults in Six Developing Countries/Regions: Ethiopia [Episode 4]

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The impact of population aging is universally recognized and has been extensively studied in wealthier, developed regions. But we know much less about how aging is experienced by low- and middle-income countries and populations and how these regions are responding to the challenges created by the aging of their populations. The rapid rate of population aging in many developing parts of the world—fueled by falling fertility rates and a shift in the predominance of chronic diseases rather than acute and infectious illnesses—has left little time to anticipate and prepare for the consequences of aging populations.

The GSA Interest Group on Common Data Elements for International Research in Residential Long-term Care has developed a limited podcast series to provide insights into how culture, competing population health priorities, political conflict, and resource limitations influence older adults, their families, and paid/formal caregivers along a trajectory of development, including Brazil, China, East Jerusalem, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Thailand.

Guest: Nigussie Tadesse Sharew, MS
Nigussie is a doctoral student at the University of Adelaide, Adelaide Medical School in Australia, where he is studying the pharmacogenomics of drugs used in the treatment of mental health disorders. He holds two master’s degrees in clinical epidemiology from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands and adult health nursing from Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia. He was an Assistant Professor at Debre Berhan University in Ethiopia, where he has served as Dean of the College of Health Science for three years and as head of the nursing department for two years.

Host: Barbara Bowers, PhD, RN, FAAN, FGSA, Emerita Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, School of Nursing; Founding Director of the UW–Madison School of Nursing’s Center for Aging Research and Education

Moderator:
Jing Wang, PhD, RN, FAAN, Assistant Professor at the University of New Hampshire, College of Health and Human Services

This podcast limited series is supported by the GSA Innovation Fund.

Understanding Person-Centered Care for Older Adults in Six Developing Countries/Regions: Caring for Palestinians Living in East Jerusalem [Episode 3]

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The impact of population aging is universally recognized and has been extensively studied in wealthier, developed regions. But we know much less about how aging is experienced by low- and middle-income countries and populations and how these regions are responding to the challenges created by the aging of their populations. The rapid rate of population aging in many developing parts of the world—fueled by falling fertility rates and a shift in the predominance of chronic diseases rather than acute and infectious illnesses—has left little time to anticipate and prepare for the consequences of aging populations.

The GSA Interest Group on Common Data Elements for International Research in Residential Long-term Care has developed a limited podcast series to provide insights into how culture, competing population health priorities, political conflict, and resource limitations influence older adults, their families, and paid/formal caregivers along a trajectory of development, including Brazil, China, East Jerusalem, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Thailand.

Guest: Amal Abu Awad, PhD, RN, MSN
Dr. Abu Awad serves as the Chief Nursing Officer at Augusta Victoria Hospital. She has an educational background that includes a baccalaureate degree in nursing from Al-Quds University in the West Bank, a master's degree in pediatric and neonatal nursing from the University of South Carolina, and a doctoral degree in nursing from the University of Wisconsin–Madison with a minor in educational leadership and policy analysis. Additionally, Dr. Abu Awad has a significant history in education, having previously worked as the Dean of Ibn Sina College for Health Sciences and as the Director General of Education in Health at the Ministry of Health of the Palestinian Territory.

Host:
Barbara Bowers, PhD, RN, FAAN, FGSA, Emerita Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, School of Nursing; Founding Director of the UW–Madison School of Nursing’s Center for Aging Research and Education

Moderator:
Jing Wang, PhD, RN, FAAN, Assistant Professor at the University of New Hampshire, College of Health and Human Services

This podcast limited series is supported by the GSA Innovation Fund.

Understanding Person-Centered Care for Older Adults in Six Developing Countries/Regions: China [Episode 2]

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The impact of population aging is universally recognized and has been extensively studied in wealthier, developed regions. But we know much less about how aging is experienced by low- and middle-income countries and populations and how these regions are responding to the challenges created by the aging of their populations. The rapid rate of population aging in many developing parts of the world—fueled by falling fertility rates and a shift in the predominance of chronic diseases rather than acute and infectious illnesses—has left little time to anticipate and prepare for the consequences of aging populations.

The GSA Interest Group on Common Data Elements for International Research in Residential Long-term Care has developed a limited podcast series to provide insights into how culture, competing population health priorities, political conflict, and resource limitations influence older adults, their families, and paid/formal caregivers along a trajectory of development, including Brazil, China, East Jerusalem, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Thailand.

Guest: Honglin Chen, PhD
Dr. Chen is currently a professor of gerontological social work at the University of Eastern Finland. She has been doing research and teaching in aging policy and practice field as a Professor and Vice Chair in the Department of Social Work at Fudan University in Shanghai, China for 20 years. Her current research area focuses on welfare technology, smart elder care, social work education and serves as an editorial board member in the Journal of Social Work. Dr. Chen is also a Sino-America Fulbright Scholar at the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology at the University of Southern California.

Host:
Barbara Bowers, PhD, RN, FAAN, FGSA, Emerita Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, School of Nursing; Founding Director of the UW–Madison School of Nursing’s Center for Aging Research and Education

Moderator:
Jing Wang, PhD, RN, FAAN, Assistant Professor at the University of New Hampshire, College of Health and Human Services

This podcast limited series is supported by the GSA Innovation Fund.

Understanding Person-Centered Care for Older Adults in Six Developing Countries/Regions: Brazil [Episode 1]

Download the Transcript

The impact of population aging is universally recognized and has been extensively studied in wealthier, developed regions. But we know much less about how aging is experienced by low- and middle-income countries and populations and how these regions are responding to the challenges created by the aging of their populations. The rapid rate of population aging in many developing parts of the world—fueled by falling fertility rates and a shift in the predominance of chronic diseases rather than acute and infectious illnesses—has left little time to anticipate and prepare for the consequences of aging populations.

The GSA Interest Group on Common Data Elements for International Research in Residential Long-term Care has developed a limited podcast series to provide insights into how culture, competing population health priorities, political conflict, and resource limitations influence older adults, their families, and paid/formal caregivers along a trajectory of development, including Brazil, China, East Jerusalem, Ethiopia, Ghana, and Thailand.

Guest: Patrick Alexander Wachholz, PhD
Dr. Wachholz is a geriatrician in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and Professor at the Botucatu Medical School at Sao Paulo State University. Dr. Wachholz is also a researcher at the Brazilian National Front for Strengthening Long-Term Care, a network promoting and supporting initiatives for long-term care and advocating for stronger public policies for older adults in this setting. Previously, as a consultant to the Pan American Health Organization for the long-term care sector in Latin America, he served as Director of the Department of Geriatric Medicine in a long-term care facility in Brazil. Dr. Wachholz is currently Editor-in-Chief of Geriatrics, Gerontology and Aging.

Host:
Barbara Bowers, PhD, RN, FAAN, FGSA, Emerita Professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, School of Nursing; Founding Director of the UW–Madison School of Nursing’s Center for Aging Research and Education

Moderator:
Jing Wang, PhD, RN, FAAN, Assistant Professor at the University of New Hampshire, College of Health and Human Services

This podcast limited series is supported by the GSA Innovation Fund.

This episode is part of a continued series that will provide insights into the experiences of GSA Policy Interns from various cohorts. Join former policy intern Bailee Brekke (’23) as she speaks with the 2021 interns, Lei Chen and Kaleigh Ligus, about their internship experience and how it has impacted their current work.

Guest Bios:

Lei Chen, PhD, is a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) Philip R. Lee Institute for Health Policy Studies. She is a transdisciplinary and cross-cultural researcher whose work focuses on long-term services and supports, immigrants’ access to health care, migrant workforce, aging and health policy, aging and technology, and cross-cultural study. Dr. Chen is working on a National Institutes of Health–funded project that aims to advance research on the health care workforce that serves people living with dementia. She applies quantitative and qualitative methodologies to her research. Before joining UCSF, she worked on several research projects at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Center for Health Policy Research and collaborated with the UCLA Human-Centered Computing and Intelligent Sensing Lab. Dr. Chen also engages in policy-related work such as assisting in developing and implementing the Master Plan for Aging in California.

Kaleigh Ligus, PhD, is a social science research analyst at the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. Her work includes developing, implementing, and evaluating new CMS patient care models aimed at improving Medicare beneficiaries’ health care experiences and health outcomes. Dr. Ligus currently works on the team for the Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience Model. She has been dedicated to serving older adults living with chronic disease since 2015 during her experience at the University of Connecticut (UConn) Health Center on Aging. She earned her doctoral degree in human development and family sciences, with a specialization in adulthood, aging and gerontology, from UConn in 2023. During graduate school, she served as the Greg O’Neill Policy Intern for the Gerontological Society of America (summer 2021) and Health Policy Fellow at AcademyHealth (summer of 2022), working with like-minded community collaborators and political leaders to advocate for health policy change.