Speaker Series

The Centre on Aging hosts a Speaker Series, which regularly is held from October to March during the academic year.

Join us as the Centre's on Aging's Speaker Series presents various aging related presentation online.

As part of the Centre on Aging's outreach to the community, the Centre hosts a Speaker Series, which gives our Research Affiliates an opportunity to share insights into their academic research in aging related fields and discuss current issues.

A goal of this series is to strengthen interdisciplinary research in health and aging.
The Speaker Series is free to attend and all are welcome.

Presentation finale

Join us for our final presentation of the term!

Wednesday, March 27, 2024 | 2:30 p.m. | via Zoom
Intersectional approaches to understanding heterogeneity of cognition aging: A data-driven exploration
Dr. Sunmee Kim
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Arts, Psychology 
Download poster (PDF)

Register for March 27

Cognitive aging trajectories in older adults vary by identity and social context, yet intersectionality research often overlooks how these factors interact over time. Traditional longitudinal methods like linear mixed models have limitations in exploring these complexities, as they require predefining interaction terms. To overcome this, we introduce the generalized linear mixed-model (GLMM) trees,  a flexible data-driven method merging recursive partitioning for subgroup identification with GLMM for aging trajectory analysis. This method automatically detects combinations of moderators (like age, race) influencing cognitive function changes, ideal for contexts with numerous moderators with varied subcategories. By applying GLMM Trees to the Health and Retirement Study data, we reveal complex, previously unseen intersectional dynamics in cognitive aging patterns. 

Past Speaker Series presentations

Friday, March 1, 2024
Reinforcing the Rainbow: Enhancing Inclusivity for LGBTQ2S+ Seniors 
Dr. Robert Mizzi
Canada Research Chair and Associate Professor; Educational Administration, Foundations & Psychology

This presentation shares the current literature on lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer, two-spirit, and other sexual or gender-minority (LGBTQ2S+) seniors. It will provide an overview of the challenges facing this group and some possibilities for change. An art project that aims to produce intergenerational learning between LGBTQ2S+ seniors and allies and LGBTQ2S+ youth in Winnipeg is discussed.

Monday, February 12, 2024 
Casting light on the genetics of age-related hearing loss: Insights from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging
Dr. Britt Drögemöller
Canada Research Chair in Pharmacogenomics and Precision Medicine; Assistant professor, Max Rady College of Medicine, Biochemistry and Medical Genetics

Age-related hearing loss (ARHL) impacts approximately one-third of individuals over the age of 65. While genetics is known to play an important role in ARHL, our understanding of the precise genetic factors that are involved remains incomplete. This presentation will outline how we have used genomic and audiologic data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) to bridge this knowledge gap. This talk will highlight some of the key findings that we have uncovered through the use of automated phenotyping strategies and genome-wide association studies.

Thursday, January 18, 2024
Tech-enabled homes: Aging in place and space
Dr. Jacquie Ripat
Associate dean (research); Associate professor, College of Rehabilitation Sciences, Department of Occupational Therapy

Aging in place refers to supporting people to age in their location of choice and with autonomy using appropriate support and services in ways that support their well-being. The concept of aging in space adds to this definition, by considering the meaning that people ascribe to place. Technology and environmental adaptations provide a means to aid aging in place and space. In this session, we will: 1) discuss aging in place and space as important concepts related to well-being, participation, and engagement; 2) consider how technology and environmental adaptations can be used to support people to age in place and space; and 3) learn about the Smart Suite, a tech-enabled apartment at the University of Manitoba that is being used for research, innovation, and teaching related to aging in place and space.

Wednesday, November 29, 2023 
Timing perceptual decision making in a mouse model of aging: Computational approaches to linking cognitive function to its neurobiological correlates
Dr. Fuat Balci, PhD
Associate Professor, Faculty of Science, Biological Sciences 

Time perception and decision-making are two fundamental components of cognitive aging. For instance, aging is associated with slower decision-making and higher variability in timed actions.  However what particular cognitive computations underlie these behavioral observations is not fully understood. To this end, slower decision-making can be underlain by slower information processing or higher cautiousness. Likewise, more variable timing behavior can result from the more noisy operation of the internal clock or behavioral biases that affect the behavioral manifestation of intact time perception. In this talk, I will present how time perception and perceptual decision-making are affected in a mouse model of aging and touch on the neurobiological correlates of these age-dependent changes in cognitive function. I will showcase how computational models can help decipher the nature of the association between age-related changes in behavioral to neurobiological functions.

Research in Aging Workshop Series

The workshops are open to students, post-docs, research staff, and faculty interested in aging research. 

The workshops are open to students, post-docs, research staff, and faculty interested in aging research. Workshops will take place virtually and are one hour. The sessions are free to attend, but registration will be required.

Online presentations

Meetings will be hosted via Zoom and registration is required to participate. Registration details will be made available closer to presentation dates.

For members of the Students Targeting Aging Research (STAR) group, the workshops can be counted towards your co-curricular record.

Upcoming presentation

Thursday, March 28, 2024
Ethical considerations in aging research
Kerstin Roger, PhD
Professor, Rady Faculty of Health Sciences, Community Health Sciences
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | via Zoom
Download poster (PDF)

Register for March 28

Ethics is intended to protect research participants from harm and in particular vulnerable populations, but some research has indicated that on occasion ethics can be over protective or ageist. Are older adults vulnerable? How does ageism impact our own ethical approach to conducting research on older adults? In this workshop, Dr. Roger will explore these ideas and recommendations towards best practices in research with older adults.

Future presentations

Tuesday, April 9, 2024

The A-B-C’s of presenting and designing research posters
Nicole Dunn, MA
Associate Director, Centre on Aging
Rachel Ines, BA, Dipl.(Hons.) 
Administration and Communications Coordinator, Centre on Aging
Aneet Saran
Graduate Student, Faculty of Arts, Psychology
11:30 a.m.–12:30 p.m. | via Zoom

Register for April 9

Join us for the Centre on Aging’s Research in Aging Workshop Series, The A-B-C’s of presenting and designing research posters. If you’re new to creating poster presentations, this is the session for you. The workshop will cover what goes in a research poster, how to design one, and how to handle the oral presentation component. This is a helpful session if you plan to have a poster in the Centre on Aging’s Annual Spring Research Symposium and other upcoming conferences. Centre on Aging staff, Nicole Dunn (Associate Director) and Rachel Ines (Administration and Communications Coordinator) will walk you through everything you need to know to prepare for a research poster presentation. Aneet Saran will provide the student perspective by sharing her experience of presenting a poster at a conference.

Past workshop presentations | 2023–2024

Tuesday, September 26, 2023
Introduction to conducting research with older adults
Nicole Dunn, MA, Associate Director, Centre on Aging

To conduct research with older adults in a respectful manner, we must understand the changes that can occur with age and how best to accommodate these changes in the research context. In this workshop, Nicole Dunn, Associate Director, Centre on Aging, will provide an introduction to conducting research with older adults including practical considerations.

Monday, October 30, 2023 
Making and tracing the real you in digital scholarship 
Andrea Szwajcer, Research Services Librarian, University of Manitoba

Getting the biggest impact for your academic profile means understanding how scholarship is traced throughout the digital scholarship ecosystem and how it relates to the various profiles of ‘you’ and research impact analytics. Learn what are the various types of persistent identifiers, and how ORCID, the ubiquitous researcher identifier, can be used to harness the various relationships of scholarship to establish the most complete and authentic digital scholar version of you.

Monday, December 4, 2023
Communication is key—Part 2: How to communicate with older people
Christina Lengyel, PhD, RD, Professor, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences, Food and Human Nutritional Sciences

In part one of Communication is key, we discussed how to communicate about older adults by avoiding ageist messages. In part two, we will discuss strategies for communicating with older adults in research. As we age, there are physiological changes that have implications for how we communicate effectively with older people. In this workshop, Dr. Christina Lengyel, Professor, Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, and Centre on Aging Research Affiliate, will discuss strategies for communicating with older adults using respectful and effective methods to ensure your research participants have a positive experience in your studies. 

Thursday, January 25, 2024
Conducting research in aging and technology
Zahra Moussavi, Ph.D., P.Eng., Canada Research Chair Tier I in Biomedical Engineering; Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering

Technology is changing how older adults age in place and caregivers support them. Research in this field can help find the best solutions to do this. In this workshop, Dr. Zahra Moussavi, Canada Research Chair Tier I in Biomedical Engineering and Centre on Aging Research Affiliate, will provide research best practices in how to conduct this research and advance our knowledge in aging and technology.

Friday, February 2, 2024
Involving family in research on aging
Heather Campbell-Enns, PhD
Associate Professor of Psychology, Canadian Mennonite University

Family members can be important contributors when conducting research on aging—family members are experts on supportive roles, changing family dynamics in aging, and interactions between older adults and institutions and systems. In this workshop, Dr. Heather Campbell-Enns, Associate Professor of Psychology, Canadian Mennonite University and Centre on Aging Research Affiliate, will discuss why we might apply a “family sciences” lens to research and provide research best practices on families and aging.

Centre on Aging 40 years

July 1, 2022 marked the Centre on Aging's 40th year at the University of Manitoba. Established by founding Director, Dr. Neena Chappell, the Centre on Aging continued to thrive under directors Drs. Laurel Strain, Verena Menec, and current Director, Dr. Michelle Porter.

Highlighted are the Centre's accomplishments over the last 40 years (PDF).

New Horizons funding announcement: Decreasing internalized ageism

On May 16, 2022 the Centre on Aging hosted the Honourable Kamal Khera, Minister of Seniors, Government of Canada, at the University of Manitoba where she announced that the Centre on Aging was one of the recipients that was awarded funding from the New Horizons for Seniors Program. The New Horizons program included $61 million in funding for more than 3000 community-based projects across Canada. 

Prior to the announcement, members of the Manitoba Seniors Coalition met briefly with Minister Khera and to take some photos. Addressing the audience, were Centre Director, Dr. Michelle Porter; Dr. Annemike Farenhorst (Associate Vice-President Research, University of Manitoba); and Minister Khera, who highlighted the important research conducted at the Centre on Aging and the need to combat ageism. 

Partnering with community organizations, the Centre will be using this funding to develop an intervention aimed at decreasing internalized ageism and its potentially detrimental effects among older adult community members. 

We are sincerely thankful to the Honourable Kamal Khera and the Government of Canada for making this project possible. The archived announcement, can be viewed on the Seniors in Canada Facebook page.

—Dallas Murphy, Student Research Assistant, Centre on Aging

  • Drs. Farenhorst and Porter stand beside Minister Khera in front of two banners at the New Horizons funding announcement on May 16.
  • Seven University of Manitoba and senior organization community members stand between two banners and a podium at the New Horizons funding announcement.

Community workshops

To see reports associated with past events of the Centre on Aging visit our Publications page.

Check back for future events.

Contact us

Centre on Aging
338 Isbister Building
183 Dafoe Rd
University of Manitoba (Fort Garry campus)
Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2 Canada

204-474-8754
Monday to Friday, 8 am to 4 pm