News Thursday, November 19th, 2009 Improving End-of-Life Care for African Americans Professor Susan Enguidanos has teamed with Partners in Care Foundation to create an educational brochure about hospice care targeted to African American communities. More Information...   Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 Dean Davison Featured in Daily Trojan Article on President Sample’s Retirement “He came into the university and the atmosphere changed. His motto was, ‘We’re going to do things; we are going to do more with less,’” Davison said. “When he came in it was like a shot of adrenaline. I thought, ‘Wow, we are going to be on the move.’” More Information...   Monday, November 9th, 2009 A Lesson on Grieving The USC Davis School of Gerontology hosted a trip on Oct. 30 to the Glendale branch of the Forest Lawn Memorial Parks and Mortuaries for a lesson on the grieving process. More Information...   Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 Robots that Care Maja Mataric, professor of engineering and gerontology, is featured in an in-depth article in the New Yorker on how socially assistive robots can help stroke victims and people with Alzheimer disease. More Information...   James Birren on Young Retirees The Daily Breeze features the founding dean of the USC Davis School in an article on issues confronting early retirees. More Information...   Monday, November 2nd, 2009 Senior Exercising: It’s never too late to start Associate Dean Kelvin Davies is featured in Chicago Tribune article on the importance of exercise in late life. More Information...   Memory Center Launches New Web Site The USC Memory and Aging Center, a pioneer in research and treatment for dementia and Alzheimer disease, launched its new Web site this month aimed at expanding collaborative research and increasing referrals of older adults with age-related cognitive disorders. More Information...   Wednesday, October 21st, 2009 Recovery Act Grant to Examine Late-Life Oral Health Jung Ki Kim, research assistant professor at the USC Davis School of Gerontology, received a $448,061 Recovery Act grant to examine oral health and healthy aging. More Information...   Davies Wins Recovery Act Grant to Study Oxidative Stress Kelvin Davies, associate dean of the USC Davis School and James E. Birren Chair of Gerontology, received a $244,000 Recovery Act grant for research on oxidative stress and aging. More Information...   Wednesday, October 14th, 2009 In Memoriam: Richard H. Davis, 80 Richard Harding Davis, Ph.D., former editor at the Andrus Gerontology Center and professor emeritus, died on August 30, 2009 after a battle with cancer.  He was 80. More Information...   Friday, October 9th, 2009 USC Davis School Partnership Celebrated for Improving Senior Housing A handyworker program in a Santa Clarita Valley Senior Center acknowledges a beneficial partnership with the USC Davis School. More Information...   Monday, October 5th, 2009 Fetal Exposure to H1N1 Flu of 1918 People exposed to a H1N1 strain of influenza A while in utero were significantly more likely to have cardiovascular disease later in life, according to a new study published in the Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease. More Information... The article was picked up in the Los Angeles Times, ABC News, Today (Singapore), Reuters, United Press International, The Canadian Press, The Vancouver Sun, Agence France-Presse, The Salt Lake Tribune, HealthDay News, Asian News International and Ivanhoe Newswire. The story was also featured on NPR’s “Talk of the Nation.”   Tuesday, September 29th, 2009 The Gift of Death Ten years ago, author John West’s father, a well-known psychiatrist, asked him to perform an act of compassion so significant that it would change his life. Disabled and suffering from terrible pain caused by terminal cancer, the 74-year-old physician wanted his son to help him die. More Information...   Does Wisdom Come with Age? Sidney Harman, founder and former CEO of audio-equipment giant Harman International Industries and the first Judge Widney Professor of Business at USC, presented a lecture at the USC Davis School of Gerontology on Sept. 23. More Information...   Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009 Elizabeth Zelinski Featured in U.S. News and World Report Article on the Country’s Brainiest States A new study ranks the “brain health” of all 50 states, with a heavy emphasis on a healthful omega-3 fat.  Diet represented 36 percent of a state’s score. More Information...   National Fall Prevention Awareness Week Santa Monica Mirror features co-director of the USC Andrus Center’s Fall Prevention Center of Excellence Jon Pynoos in an article on Fall Prevention Awareness Week. Fittingly, the awareness campaign begins on Sep. 22, the first day of fall. More Information...   Was paradise lost? Did mankind's nutrition suffer in evolution from forest to farm? Professor Eileen Crimmins’ research on the Tsimane people of Bolivia is featured in a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel article on how the rise in farming may have led to a decline in population health. More Information...   Friday, September 18th, 2009 Old Secrets to a Long, Healthy Life Analysis of ancient texts by USC Davis School of Gerontology professor Caleb Finch reveals that some ancient writers believed the diet influenced longevity. More Information...   Tuesday, September 8th, 2009 Science News Highlights Work by Caleb Finch Finch suggests a link between certain genes that may contribute to the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.  He predicts further research into the neurobiology of clusterin, a protein that his previous research has indicated is important. More Information...   Tuesday, September 1st, 2009 Silverstein Named Social Sciences Editor The Gerontological Society of America — the country’s largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to the field of aging — has named Merril Silverstein editor of the Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences. More Information...   Thursday, August 27th, 2009 Walking in the Shoes of Elders Students at the USC Davis School of Gerontology celebrated the new academic year by “becoming senior citizens” on Aug. 21 thanks to Trading Ages, an interactive senior sensitivity training program sponsored by SCAN Health Plan. More Information...   Zelinski Brain Exercise Study Featured in LA Times Mentally sharp seniors who used the Brain Fitness computer program showed better attention and memory than their counterparts who didn’t.  However, keeping the brain busy doesn’t necessarily make it stronger. More information... The Globe and Mail of Canada   Wednesday, August 26th, 2009 Advantage Goes to Three-Generation Households Living in a three-generation household can enhance the economic well-being of children, according to a new study from researchers at USC Davis School and the University of Massachusetts Boston. More Information...   New Master's in Aging Services Management Degree Featured in Online Magazine Suite101.com This fall, the USC Davis School of Gerontology will offer graduate courses in its new Master’s in Aging Services Management program. The courses, which are available on campus and online, combine training in business and leadership with sensitivity to the needs of an older population. More Information...   Friday, August 21st, 2009 American Psychology Assn. Honors Bob Knight USC Davis professor receives an award for the Advancement of Psychology and Aging from the American Psychological Association Committee on Aging. More Information...   Is Heart Disease Not a Thing of the Past? Heart attacks and strokes — the leading causes of death in the United States and other developed countries — may have been rare for the vast majority of human history, suggests a study published today in the scientific journal PLoS ONE. More Information...   Tuesday, August 11th, 2009 Is Heart Disease Not a Thing of the Past? Heart attacks and strokes — the leading causes of death in the United States and other developed countries — may have been rare for the vast majority of human history, suggests a study published today in the scientific journal PLoS ONE. More Information... LA Times Germany’s Das Spiegel   Thursday, August 6th, 2009 Asian News International featured research co-authored by Lindsey Baker of the USC Davis School The study found that children living in single-mother families that included a grandparent were 80 percent less likely to be living below the poverty line than families with children living in mother-only homes. More Information...   American Psychology Assn. Honors Bob Knight USC Davis professor receives an award for the Advancement of Psychology and Aging from the American Psychological Association Committee on Aging. More Information...   Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009 Jon Pynoos Featured on American Public Media’s “Marketplace” In a story on older home owners, Pynoos recommended that home owners in their 50s who are considering remodeling projects include design elements that will make it easier to age comfortably over time. More Information...   Tuesday, July 14th, 2009 Courtney Wise is named one of Biz941 Magazine’s 2009 People to Watch The 28-year-old Master of Science in Gerontology graduate from the class of 2007 is a manager at Take Care Advisor in Sarasota, Florida, which helps older adults and their families supervise their healthcare. More Information...   Jon Pynoos Featured in New York Times Article on Safe and Affordable Housing for Older Adults The home "environment can be a great support to independent living," says Pynoos. Or it can be a health care hazard. The piece also mentions Pynoos is co-director of the Fall Prevention Center of Excellence.More Information...   Friday, July 10th, 2009 Chronicle for Higher Education Selects Gerontology as a “Hot” Academic Field of the Next 10 Years The article highlights the USC Davis School as the first and largest gerontology school in the world and states, “The aging process will take on a more prominent role in society as the baby-boom generation ages….” More Information...   Research by Mara Mather and Nicole Lighthall Featured in Boston Globe The article, which was also picked up internationally in India, Italy, Kenya and Brazil, reported the gap between taking a risk and playing it safe grows larger when men and women have to make decisions under pressure. More Information...   Wednesday, June 24th, 2009 Rethinking Housing and Aging in Place Combining home modifications with the Obama administration’s plan to retrofit dwellings throughout the country for energy conservation could help millions of older adults to age in place. More Information...   Tuesday, June 23rd, 2009 Andrus Center Swings for Healthy Aging Annual golf tournament honoring USC Chairman Ed Roski, Jr. raises over $200,000 for gerontology research and education.  More Information...   Thursday, June 18th, 2009 Merril Silverstein Featured in NY Times Story on Parenting and Providing Silverstein directs the Longitudinal Study of Generations, which since 1971 has been looking at how a family’s relationships change over time. “We did find some evidence, when we turned the clock ahead 30 years, that children who had received more resources provided, in turn, more social support later to older parents,” he said. More Information...   Wednesday, June 10th, 2009 USC Davis School Course on Business and Aging Mentioned in Daily Breeze Part of the course provided evidence and case studies demonstrating that most businesses in the U.S. are, or will be, in the business of aging because of the aging demographics. The only problem is, reporter Helen Dennis writes, they don't know it. More Information...   Aging Services Identified as “Cool Career for Tomorrow” in Military Times’ Edge Magazine The article discusses the new Master’s in Aging Services Management, designed to help prepare people for jobs in such high-growth areas as services for people with disabilities, home health care services, geriatric care management, research and related fields. More Information...   Thursday, June 4th, 2009 Research of Professors Silverstein and Gans featured in Haaretz, one of Israel’s major newspapers Adults who grew up in religious families feel a stronger obligation to help their aged parents than those from secular homes. More Information...   USC Davis School Course on Business and Aging Mentioned in Daily Breeze Part of the course provided evidence and case studies demonstrating that most businesses in the U.S. are, or will be, in the business of aging because of the aging demographics. The only problem is, reporter Helen Dennis writes, they don't know it. More Information...   Friday, May 29th, 2009 Training Guide Addresses Unfamiliar Turf Considered one of the top clinical geropsychologists in the country, Bob Knight is lead author of an article outlining a training model to provide optimal care for older adults and their families that appeared in an issue of American Psychologist. More Information...   Is Alzheimer Disease Part of Normal Aging? The question of whether Alzheimer disease is a normal part of aging was the central theme of the sixth annual Alzheimer Disease Research Update Day held on May 22 at the Andrus Gerontology Center. More Information...   Friday, May 22nd, 2009 USC Davis School Celebrates Graduation 2009 Class of 2009 committed to fulfilling the school’s goal of improving the lives of older adults. More Information...   Thursday, May 21st, 2009 Professor Jon Pynoos and Ph.D. student Caroline Cicero Featured in Daily Breeze Article A recent Public Policy and Aging report written by Pynoos and Cicero is quoted at length in the article. “Responses to support aging in place have been piecemeal and fragmented, leaving many older people in homes that are unsupportive and in communities that offer them few housing options.” More Information...   U.S. News and World Report Features Professor Kelvin Davies’ Research on Huntington Disease People with Huntington disease have a shortage in the brain of the RCAN1-1L gene, a form of RCAN1, Davies’ lab has found. Increasing RCAN-1L activity might ease the condition, according to their study, published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry. More Information...   Professor Merril Silverstein Featured in NY Times Article on Changing Family Dynamics “Thanks to the longevity revolution, people normally now live into their 80s or beyond, which means that for the first time we are going to have two, possibly three generations over 60 alive at one time,” Silverstein said. “I tell the women in my classroom they’ll spend about two-thirds of their lives with their mothers still alive.” More Information...   Tuesday, May 19th, 2009 USC Davis School Student Wins First Place at the USC Undergraduate Research Symposium Valerie Yuan took first place in the Life Science category for cancer research in collaboration with Professor Valter Longo. More Information...   USC Davis School Alumnus Wins 2009 Home Care Marketing Award Neil Rotter, MSG/MSW ’96, named H2 Marketing’s Sales/Marketing Manager of the Year. More Information...   2009 USC Davis School Ph.D. Graduate Jessie Yan Accepts Postdoctoral Fellowship at UCLA Jessie Yan, Ph.D. ’09, receives a distinguished post-doctoral fellowship at the American Heart Association-Pharmaceutical Roundtable Outcomes Research Center at UCLA. More Information...   Ph.D. Student to Be Inducted Into USC’s Oldest Honor Society For academic excellence, Sarinnapha Vasunilashorn will be inducted into Phi Kappa Phi, one of USC’s most distinguished honor societies. More Information...   Friday, May 8th, 2009 Mara Mather wins NIH Career Award Mara Mather receives a distinguished K award for career development from the National Institutes of Health. More Information...   Yeast Live Long and Prosper Cell biologists have found a more filling substitute for caloric restriction in extending the life span of simple organisms. More Information... United Press International   Monday, April 20th, 2009 Assistant Dean Maria Henke Featured in Entrepreneur Magazine on Opportunities in the Senior Market The USC Davis School assistant dean discusses how to research the market, i.d. trends, and get a resource guide to help you stay cutting-edge or start up your business today. More Information...   On the Trail of Huntington Disease Using gene therapy, USC Davis School of Gerontology researchers have taken an important first step towards protecting against Huntington disease. More Information... Science Daily   Tuesday, April 14th, 2009 Davies Chairs International Gordon Conference on Oxidative Stress and Disease Gordon Research Conferences provide an international forum for the presentation and discussion of frontier research in the biological, chemical, and physical sciences, and their related technologies. More Information...   Friday, April 10th, 2009 Aiming to End Alzheimer Disease The USC Davis School of Gerontology welcomed Potamkin Prize winner Rudolph E. Tanzi, the Joseph P. and Rose F. Kennedy Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School, on April 9 to discuss how genes affect Alzheimer disease. More Information...   Monday, April 6th, 2009 Preventing Falls Throughout LA The USC Andrus Gerontology Center’s Fall Prevention Center of Excellence received a three-year, $240,000 grant from the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc. to build a fall prevention coalition for the city of Los Angeles. More Information...   Tuesday, March 24th, 2009 USC Davis School Ph.D. Student Wins Oakley Fellowship Sarinnapha Vasunilashorn wins university-wide fellowship for stand-out gerontology research. More Information...   Friday, March 13th, 2009 Stumping for Changes in Health Care Brookings Institute senior fellow Henry Aaron discusses possible reform at a USC Davis School gathering. More Information...   Kelvin Davies Featured on ABC News Affiliate in Louisiana Davies’ lecture at Louisiana State University was part of the William A. Pryor lecture series.  The presentation was picked up by local press 2theadvocate.com. More Information...   Tuesday, March 10th, 2009 Progress in Fall Prevention and Dementia Care for Older Adults USC Davis School welcomes Univ. of Connecticut dementia care and fall prevention expert Richard Fortinsky to discuss his latest research. More Information...   Friday, March 6th, 2009 Linking Research to Alzheimer Prevention Dementia symposium features workshops, a technology expo and a panel of individuals with early-stage Alzheimer disease. More Information...   Tuesday, March 3rd, 2009 USC Davis School Staffer Earns University-Wide Recognition IT Director May Ng selected as Staff Member of the Month. More Information...   Wedesday, February 25th, 2009 Computer Exercises Improve Memory A study led by Elizabeth Zelinski featured nearly 500 adults over 65 in a controlled trial. Half of them used a fitness program intended to ‘retrain the brain’ over the course of eight weeks. More Information...   Tuesday, February 24th, 2009 USC Davis School Debuts New Master’s Degree in Aging Services Management New master’s degree curriculum meets the demographic imperative for management and services to older adults. More Information...   Wednesday, February 18th, 2009 How Nitric Oxide Maintains Health Pharmacologist Louis Ignarro discusses the ‘miracle molecule’ responsible for dilation of blood cells in the human body. More Information...   Valter Longo Cited in a Story on Longevity in Guelph Mercury (Canada) Longo is among those who believe it might be possible to alter human DNA in a way that would allow people to live extremely long lives, according to the story. More Information...   Tuesday, February 17th, 2009 Tuck Finch Wins Faculty Recognition Award Caleb Finch wins the 2009 Phi Kappa Phi Faculty Recognition Award for his book “The Biology of Human Longevity.” More Information...   Zelinki Study on Computer Exercise Featured on ABC Local News Study shows brain exercises improve memory and processing speed. More Information... CBS News in Pittsburgh, PA   Friday, February 13th, 2009 He Leads the Longevity Revolution Pulitzer Prize-winning author Robert Butler discusses how longer lives and an aging population will affect America’s health care system. More Information...   Monday, February 9th, 2009 Joint Appointments Expand the Horizons of Gerontology Faculty with joint appointments in gerontology from architecture, law, dentistry and clinical pharmacy offer added dimensions to the expanding field of aging. More Information...   Friday, February 6th, 2009 From Hospital to Home Care Susan Enguidanos receives a three-year grant to study transitional care for diabetic Latinos. More Information...   Monday, February 2nd, 2009 Cancer Research Findings Explained Valter Longo discusses his groundbreaking research on a rare population of dwarves who are seemingly immune to cancer. More Information...   Wednesday, January 28th, 2009 Bernard Steinman Receives University-wide T.A. Award USC Davis School Ph.D. candidate Bernard Steinmant wins University Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award. More Information....   Neal Cutler Quoted in LA Daily News on Seniors Postponing Retirement “A lot of companies either subsidized or paid for retirees’ health-care benefits,” Cutler said.  “Eight to 10 years ago, that stopped,” he added. As health care is increasingly vital to senior citizens, that becomes a big incentive to keep working, the story stated. Cutler teaches a popular business and aging course at the USC Davis School. More Information...   Tuesday, January 6th, 2009 L.A. County Honors USC Caregivers USC Gerontology Center and L.A. Caregiver Resource Center are recognized by the board of supervisors. More Information...   USC Davis School Research Featured in Korean News Story on Fasting At the start of a new year, Koreans often fast as a way of cleansing and detoxifying their bodies, flushing away the toxins built up over the past 12 months.  The article (in English) discusses research from the USC Davis School that shows how fasting may enhance the immune system in critical medical treatments such as cancer. More Information...

Pop Culture and Aging Coldplay Music Video The Hardest Part Click to View (YouTube) The Zimmers Music Video My Generation Click to View (YouTube) John Prine Music Video Hello in There Click to View (YouTube) Art of Karaoke Documentary Click to View (YouTube) Profile of Mississauga, Ontario Mayor Hazel McCallionClick to View (YouTube)   Contact Information The USC Davis School of Gerontology communications department is available to help members of the news media find faculty experts and other information about USC Gerontology. For assistance, please contact: Athan G. Bezaitis Director of Communications USC Davis School of Gerontology - Andrus Gerontology Center 3715 McClintock Ave. Rm. 122 Los Angeles, CA 90089 213-740-0821 bezaitis@usc.edu   What is RSS? back to home page