The Healthspan Lab believes that inclusive excellence involves liaising with and celebrating diverse individuals and communities. We seek out opportunities to share our research using accessible language across varied formats, including presentations, interviews, and summary reports. We see these experiences as mutually beneficial; we share our knowledge with the community and improve our ability to communicate our research in meaningful ways, while also gaining first-hand insight from the very individuals whom hope the research will benefit most.
The following are links to podcasts generated by Google’s AI based on projects coming out of the healthspan lab:
Personality Traits, Cognitive States, and Longevity: This research article examined the link between daily emotional experiences and cortisol levels in older adult couples. We found that positive emotions experienced by one partner were associated with lower cortisol levels in the other partner, particularly for those with higher relationship satisfaction and older individuals. However, no significant associations were found between negative emotions and cortisol levels within couples. This study suggests that positive emotions may act as a protective factor against physiological stress in relationships, contributing to overall relationship satisfaction: PODCAST
Emotions and Cortisol Secretion in Late Life Couples: This article, published in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, uses data from the Rush Memory and Aging Project to examine the relationship between personality traits and cognitive aging. Specifically, we investigated how conscientiousness, neuroticism, and extraversion are associated with transitions between cognitive states (no cognitive impairment, mild cognitive impairment, and dementia), as well as mortality. We used multistate survival models, a powerful statistical method, to account for the simultaneous influence of these factors. The study also estimates the impact of personality on cognitive healthspan (years without cognitive impairment), finding that higher conscientiousness and extraversion, and lower neuroticism, are associated with longer cognitive healthspan: PODCAST
In addition, the following are infographics created by our lab to promote optimal aging and development: