The latest edition of The University of British Columbia Magazine, published by Alumni UBC, shines a spotlight on UBC’s growing strength in healthy aging research. Five of the nine featured stories highlight investigators from the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging, whose work is advancing research, training, and knowledge mobilization in this rapidly evolving field. Together, these teams are working to support the health and wellbeing of older adults and to narrow the gap between healthspan and lifespan. Below is a summary of the articles featuring ELCHA investigators and the important contributions they are making to healthy aging at UBC.
Are We Prepared for an Aging World?
An article written by Richard Littlemore, features Dr. Anne Martin-Matthews, a leading sociologist and former Director of the CIHR Institute of Aging. She helped launch the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), which follows 50,000 Canadians to better understand how biological, social, behavioural, and environmental factors shape aging. Dr. Martin-Matthews notes that increased longevity is a public health success, but one Canada has not fully planned for. She points to gaps in health-care funding and the need to shift from reactive to proactive approaches. Examples from Denmark and Finland show how coordinated home-care systems can support aging well. Yet she is also optimistic. Despite rising numbers of older adults, the proportion of people with dementia is declining worldwide, reflecting improvements in health and nutrition. Many older adults are also remaining active in the workforce by choice, contributing expertise and strengthening the “silver economy.” Creating age-friendly communities, she argues, will benefit people of all ages.
Born to Age
Chris Cannon wrote a feature on Dr. Michael Kobor, professor of medical genetics and Director of the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging. In this article, Dr. Kobor explains how advances in epigenetics are transforming how we understand aging. While people are living longer, many spend more years in poor health. Dr. Kobor argues that the goal is not extreme longevity, but narrowing the gap between lifespan and healthspan so people can enjoy their later years. His Lab’s research focuses on “epigenetic clocks,” tools that estimate biological age by measuring molecular changes that accumulate over time. These changes reflect the impact of life experiences, environments, and behaviours—from air pollution to stress to nutrition. This life-course lens shows that many factors shaping healthy aging begin before birth and continue across decades. Dr. Kobor emphasizes that while individuals can influence epigenetic aging, the greatest opportunities lie in policy changes that reduce inequities. By improving the social and environmental conditions that shape aging, he argues, we can help more people thrive across the entire lifespan.
The Last Acceptable Prejudice
In this article, by Bruce Grierson, UBC researchers Dr. Julia Henderson and Dr. Lillian Hung highlight how deeply ageism shapes public attitudes—and how those attitudes can be changed. Dr. Henderson calls ageism “the last acceptable prejudice,” noting that in theatre and popular culture, older adults are still routinely portrayed as jokes, burdens, or plot devices. She points out the double standard: “If ageist greeting cards were about race or gender, people would be outraged.” Through her Elders CREATE Lab, she works to elevate older creators and challenge stereotypes, including a recent project that reframes the “senior moment” as one of insight rather than decline.
Dr. Hung’s research shows a striking gap between how younger people assume aging feels and how older adults actually experience it. In the Cultural Aging Project, older adults across seven countries reported high life satisfaction, emphasizing resilience, purpose, and connection. “Older people are happy with their life, even with its challenges,” she says. Her UBC nursing course pairs students with older adults, dramatically reducing ageism by prompting genuine conversation. Both researchers argue that changing how we see aging—culturally, socially, and interpersonally—is key to building a more age-inclusive society.
The Social Prescription
Dr. Grace Park, clinical professor in UBC’s Faculty of Medicine and former medical director for Home and Community Care at Fraser Health, has been a key champion of social prescribing in British Columbia. As she explains, social prescribing “connects the health system with community services,” allowing providers to address the non-medical factors—transportation, food security, housing, loneliness—that profoundly shape older adults’ ability to stay independent. Under Dr. Park’s leadership, Fraser Health became a demonstration site in 2019, launching programs at ten community organizations with newly created “community connector” roles. These connectors talk with older adults, uncover unmet needs, and link them to tailored supports. Since then, nearly 3,000 referrals have been made in Fraser Health alone, and more than 100 connector positions are now funded across BC. Dr. Park emphasizes that early, holistic intervention eases strain on families and the healthcare system. Her vision is for social prescribing to become a routine part of practice—addressing medical issues and social needs together to support healthier aging.
The Age-friendly University
UBC Okanagan has taken a leadership role in the age-friendly university movement, joining The global Age-Friendly University Network in 2022. The campus promotes intergenerational learning, opening educational, cultural, and wellness resources to older adults and encouraging collaboration with students. Dr. Jennifer Jakobi, professor in the School of Health and Exercise Sciences and co-lead of the Aging in Place research cluster, emphasizes hands-on, interactive programs. One favorite is a “speed dating” activity where students rotate through tables to engage in guided conversations with older learners, fostering connection and laughter. Dr. Jakobi also oversees cross-generational virtual reality projects, in which older adults design game concepts and students develop them. Seniors test the finished VR games—touring Egypt’s temples or figure skating—while providing feedback. These programs build empathy and understanding, allowing older adults to contribute meaningfully to research and learning, while giving students insight into aging, community, and collaboration.
To read the full UBC Magazine edition: https://magazine.alumni.ubc.ca/spotlight/healthy-aging
Article written by Kim Schmidt, December 10, 2025