Group Leader
Aging is characterized by changes in many sensory, motor, and cognitive functions that affect a person's daily life and work. How a person ages is influenced by a variety of factors. These factors include lifestyle, working conditions, and stress, as well as diseases, infections, and genes. One goal of aging research is to understand how these factors interact and how they change over (life) time.
Aging is not just a matter of loss of functions. Compensation, experience, lifelong learning and training can effectively counteract functional decline. In the light of demographic change and its impact on the labor market, maintaining mental abilities, well-being and the ability to work is an important task for the future.
The networking group Aging investigates the determinants and mechanisms of healthy aging with a focus on cognitive functions and the work context. The focus here is on the Dortmund Vital Study, an IfADo research project that uses a longitudinal approach to investigate the interaction of various influencing factors over the course of a working life. Human research is complemented by animal studies, for example on the long-term effects of a healthy nutrition.
Another aim is to learn more about the effects and compensation of age-related changes in cognitive functions. By including tasks and activities close to everyday life, a bridge is built from basic research to the life and work of older people. Research will also focus on how healthy aging can be actively promoted in the workplace through training and the role that technical solutions can play.
The networking group Aging cooperates closely with the other departments of the IfADo in the field of aging research, is active in Leibniz research alliances such as the research alliance "Resilient Ageing" and supports the European Cognitive Aging Society (EUCAS).
Team
