The Centre for Ageing Research is pleased to announce its first International Conference 'Ageing: Moving Beyond Boundaries', to be held at Lancaster University in the UK.
The current and projected growth of older people over the coming decades is widely acknowledged as an issue that will have significant health, economic and policy implications not just at a global level, but nationally, regionally and locally. Advances in science and medicine together with the human and policy insights from the social sciences and the arts and humanities can and will make significant contributions to alleviating some of the worst impacts of mental and physiological ageing at both an individual and societal level. Critically, however, our best chance of success for addressing the so-called 'ageing time-bomb' lies in working toward common understandings of the key issues as well as developing trans-disciplinary solutions.
This international conference represents a step toward this common goal. In particular, it invites those working on issues of ageing and older people to offer insights across the disciplines from the biomedical to the social. In seeking to move beyond traditional disciplinary boundaries we invite papers around such issues as: normal ageing processes and the ageing body, including the biology of ageing in model organisms; preventative strategies and how best to promote active ageing; how to prevent, diagnose or cope with the onset of 'diseases of older age'; as well as understanding how we might best address the care and support needs of rising numbers of our 'oldest old' at a time when we are faced with declining pensions and welfare, and a potential 'care deficit'.
Keynote speakers include:
Prof. Alan Walker, Director of the New Dynamics of Ageing Programme.
Prof. David Oliver, National Clinical Director for Older People, Department of Health , UK.
Dr Richard Faragher, Chair of the British Society for Research on Ageing and the International Association of Biomedical Gerontology.
Dr David Gems, Assistant Director of the Institute of Healthy Ageing, University College London, UK.
Prof. Christina Victor, Professor of Gerontology and Public Health in the School of Health Sciences and Social Care / Associate Deputy (Research).
Prof. Julia Twigg, Professor of Social Policy and Sociology, University of Kent, UK.
We welcome expressions of interest or suggestions for interdisciplinary symposia.
Registration, abstract submission for poster or selected oral presentations, details of fees and student bursaries, and details of an optional excursion to the Lake District will be available at our website from December 2011.