UFV faculty and students made waves at the inaugural Aging Better Together symposium, which was held Nov. 19-20 at the University of British Columbia. The event gathered researchers, trainees, and stakeholders for two days of reflection, discussion, and community engagement on the biological, social, cultural, and environmental determinants of healthy aging. They talked about strategies for prevention and early intervention to increase health span and add quality years to life.

Faculty and students from UFV’s Centre for Education and Research on Aging (CERA) made three presentations.

Student research assistant Anna Janzen (Kinesiology) and supervisor Dr. Gillian Hatfield discussed their study examining the benefits of pickleball. Participants in the study were older adults who played in last summer’s BC Senior’s Games in Abbotsford.

Janzen and fellow student research assistant Owen Swan (Kinesiology) were joined by supervisors Dr. Shelley Canning and Alison Prichard Orr talking about the UFV Trishaw Rides program and the benefits for student pilots and senior passengers.

Student research assistant Kaitlyn Doerksen (Psychology) and supervisor Dr. Valentina Proietti discussed their study looking at ageism among young adults and piloting an anti-ageism intervention.

Canning says all the symposium presenters other than UFV’s were academics, post doctoral researchers, and graduate students.

“I’m sure ours were the only undergraduate students presenting, and one of the benefits of coming to UFV is that you can actually do research as an undergraduate,” says Canning, CERA director. “These students gained important experience presenting their work and listening to presentations highlighting current areas of scholarship. It was a great mentoring experience between students and supervisors and a great opportunity for students to network in looking ahead to applying for graduate programs after graduation.”

The symposium was held at UBC’s Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging in partnership with the Aging in Place Research Cluster, UBC Health, and the Centre for Technology Adoption for Aging in the North.