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The Esther and Isadore Kesten Memorial Lectureship was established in 1973 by Alan Davis, son of Sophie and Leonard Davis, in memory of his grandparents. The funds from this endowed lectureship allow the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and the Andrus Research Center to annually honor an individual whose research in gerontology has contributed significantly to our understanding of the aging process.  The award is designed to recognize prominent scholars in fields related to aging. Seeman joins the ranks of such distinguished Kesten awardees as Nathan Shock, Robert Butler, Lauren Carstensen, and John Rowe.

When Julia Walsh, USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology Applied Legal and Regulatory Issues in Aging instructor, wrote a letter to President Obama explaining why she appreciated the Affordable Care Act, she may not have expected anything in return.  However, after describing the progress that has been made in improving access to healthcare.gov and highlighting the importance of the new law, the President used Walsh’s story as an example of the impact the Affordable Care Act can have, even on those who already had health insurance.

After describing that earlier this year she received two significant medical diagnoses, the President quoted Walsh’s letter. “I have a lot of things to worry about.  But thanks to the Affordable Care Act there are lots of things I do not have to worry about…like whether there will be a lifetime cap on benefits, or whether my treatment will bankrupt my family.  I can’t begin to tell you how much that peace of mind means.”

Although Walsh had health insurance, the President explained, with the law’s ban on lifetime care limits she will no longer face the decision between caring for her children and getting the treatment she needs. Click here to view the speech.

To tackle the rising prevalence of age-related diseases and the challenges and opportunities presented by a growing elderly population, the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology and the Buck Institute for Research on Aging today announced a joint PhD program in the Biology of Aging, the first in the nation. The interdisciplinary doctoral program will draw on the two institutions’ long-established leadership and expertise in understanding the connection between aging and chronic disease through biomedical research..

Trojan Family Weekend marked the launch of the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology’s new Creativity and Aging Initiative.  Engaging USC faculty, staff, students, and community members, the Creativity and Aging Initiative will host events to celebrate and explore the achievements of older artists, musicians, writers, actors, and dancers, as well as link to research and academics.

The opening event, The Ageless Artist: Art Fair and Exhibit, filled the Leonard Davis courtyard and lobby with work from 10 seasoned artists ranging from quilts, jewelry, furniture, prints, paintings, and fabric arts.

“I am delighted that we are able to showcase the creativity of artists of all ages,” said Leonard Davis School dean, Pinchas Cohen.  “In gerontology, we examine the concepts of lifespan and healthspan, and through this initiative, we will explore our creativity span.”

Highlighting the notion that artists are not restricted by age, and in turn often enriched by it, The Ageless Artist also included the inaugural exhibit of the Sophie Davis Art Gallery, established by a generous donation from Alan Davis, son of the School’s namesake.  The first of many rotating exhibits, it includes the expressive and thought-provoking work of Mary Lou Dauray and Orna Makleff.

The event concluded with the presentation, Creativity and Aging: Unlocking the Artist Within at Any Age.  It included a discussion by USC Leonard Davis Assistant Professor Tara Gruenewald on the importance to older adults of generativity – or their ability to make positive contributions to their communities. Dauray and Makleff shared words of wisdom to encourage Trojan parents, grandparents, and students that it is never too late to explore their creative side.  Highlighting how easy it is to dive into art making, USC Architecture professor, artist, and furniture designer Miller Fong demonstrated an app for iPhones and iPads. Called Artrage, the app can help unleash the inner artist in all of us – allowing users to draw and paint with their finger or stylus.  Writer and artist Dr. Francine Toder ended the presentation with inspiring recommendations from her book, The Vintage Years – Finding Your Inner Artist.

In the New Year, the Leonard Davis School of Gerontology’s Creativity and Aging Initiative will sponsor additional events and develop new endeavors in its research and academics. The Sophie Davis Art Gallery is open to the public during the School’s operating hours.

Susan Enguídanos, MPH, PhD, assistant professor in the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, evaluates a program that wants to change and improve the referral process. With the eConsult study, she and her research colleagues – Alex Li, MD, Sajid Ahmed, and Sandy Atkins – looked at three specialist referrals in their study population: dermatology, nephrology, and endocrinology.

Professor Kelvin Davies of the Andrus Gerontology Center, University of Southern California, published- along with Andrew Pickering, Alison Koop, Cheryl Teoh, Gennady Ermak, and Tilman Grune- a paper  in the BJ Cell Knowledge Environment which proved to be the best-cited paper in this category of articles contributing to the Biochemical Journal’s latest Impact Factor of 4.654. (Continue Reading…)