The Div. 20 program for the 2019 APA convention in Chicago, from Aug. 8-11, is nearly finalized, and we have many exciting sessions to look forward to. First, we have the Presidential Address from Michael Marsiske, PhD, titled Cognitive Interventions for Older Adults: Separating the Wheat from the Chaff. The 2018 Baltes Distinguished Research Achievement Award winner, Karen Rook, PhD, will also present her research in a talk titled Loss, Loneliness and Social Network Compensation in Later Life. Additionally, a unique panel of prominent gerontology leaders, led by Harvey Sterns, PhD, will discuss the development and aging of Div. 20 through the years.
This year, Div. 20 sponsored four collaborative sessions chosen by the APA central programming group: Advancing Health Justice: Life Course Determinants of Racial Disparities; Behavioral Health Needs and Resilience among Transgender and Gender-Non-Conforming Older Adults; Mitigating Cognitive Decline in Adults: Potential Resilience in the Face of Aging, Genetics and Disease; and a student-organized session titled Translational Science and Advocacy of Neuropsychology in Dementia: Expert Roundtable Discussion.In addition to an interactive mentoring workshop on modern-day strategies to support and market your research program, Div. 20 is also collaborating with other divisions on scientific sessions focused on interventions in response to natural disasters, older women who work and integrative approaches and issues in understanding capacity.
Specific sessions for Div. 20 students and early-career members include Engaging Aging: Pedagogies for the College Classroom; Ethical Considerations in Providing Psychological Care to Older Adults; and Career Paths in Aging Research and Practice. Div. 20 will also be hosting four symposia, two paper sessions and 66 research posters. These symposia and sessions reflect topics such as best practices for the design and implementation of technology interventions, emotion regulation in daily life, older adults’ preference for technology adoption and future care planning, art-based therapies and interventions and the complexities and significance of social relations. Posters will present the very latest research in adult development and aging.
We invite members to meet the newest Div. 20 fellow, Anthony Sterns, PhD, during the Fellow Address titled From the Memory Magic Program to the iRxReminder App: Lessons Learned in Advancing the Art of Cognitive Prosthetics and to join us during our combined social hour and awards ceremony. An off-site dinner/networking event is also in the works to enable Div. 20 members to meet and enjoy the company of colleagues. Look for a preliminary schedule on the listserv in April. We look forward to seeing you in Chicago.