Study Abroad

GERO 493: Longevity and Death among Ancient and Modern European Populations

Maymester | Italy | Susan Enguídanos | 2 units (Contact department for 4 unit option)

Dates:
May 13 – May 15, 2024 (On Campus)
May 19 – 31, 2024 (in Italy)

This course is led by USC Leonard Davis School Associate Professor Susan Enguídanos and explores the discoveries of ancient humans and bodies that have been preserved to illuminate the connection between diet, health, and disease. The class will travel through Italy and explore the role of religion and culture in determining and defining death practices, ceremonies, and other customs. Class discussions and field trips will demonstrate the strong connection between religious and afterlife beliefs and body disposal practices.

GERO 494: How do our brains make us happy or miserable throughout our lives?

Maymester | Israel | 4 units

Dates:
May 13 – May 17, 2024 (On Campus)
May 19 – June 1, 2024 (in Israel)

This course, presented in conjunction with Reichman University, examines how psychologists study thinking, memory, emotions, personality, and behavior and how people change throughout the adult lifespan. Students will learn about research and theory bearing on cognitive, personality, adaptive, and social processes throughout the adult life span and about applications of current research and theory to practical matters in the field of gerontology.

GERO 498: Nutrition, Genes, Longevity and Disease

Maymester | Italy | Valter Longo | 4 units

Dates:
May 14 – May 17, 2024 (On Campus)
May 19- June 8, 2024 (in Italy)

This course examines the role of nutrition and genes and the impact each has on longevity and diseases, particularly diseases related to aging. It provides the opportunity to learn directly from internationally renowned expert and USC Leonard Davis School Professor Valter Longo, gain a global perspective on genetics and cultural attitudes toward aging, and experience a month-long immersion in the Mediterranean lifestyle.

GERO 489: Finding the Key to a Long, Happy Life in Nicoya, Costa Rica’s Blue Zone

Maymester | Costa Rica | John Walsh | 4 units

Dates:
May 13 – 17, 2024 (On Campus)
May 20 – June 1, 2024 (in Costa Rica)

This course will immerse students into lifestyles shown to improve the quality of life and extend the lifespan by studying populations that live in communities referred to as “Blue Zones”throughout the world. Students will have the opportunity to visit two of the world’s five Blue Zones: Loma Linda, California, and Nicoya, Costa Rica.

GERO 499: South Korea’s Rapid Population Aging: How to Turn Challenges into Opportunities

Maymester | South Korea | Min-Kyoung Rhee | 4 units

Dates:
May 13-17, 2024 (On Campus)
May 20-June 1, 2024 (in South Korea)

Explore aging in the context of Korean policy, culture, interventions and technology. Students will be introduced to Korean culture, values, demographic trends, and aging-related policies in order to explore diverse challenges faced by older adults, including poverty, social isolation, employment, and physical and mental health.

GERO 499: Genetics of Aging in England, Ireland and the United States

Julymester | England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland | Sean Curran | 4 units

Dates:
July 15-19, 2024 (On Campus or via Zoom)
July 21-August 2, 2024 (in the UK and Ireland)

Travel to England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Ireland to learn the fundamentals of genetics and the role the environment plays in longevity and health outcomes. Use the frameworks of local folklore and fiction as the basis of understanding the history of genetic studies and what ignites the gerontological imagination in the development of the science of senescence. Explore three distinct longitudinal studies of specific populations while considering the broader cultural aspects of age and aging.