"Research on Mental Health and Aging Disparities"
Abstract
This presentation will provide recent examples of research on disparities in late-life mental health and aging. Examples will be provided of research demonstrating racial and ethnic disparities in late-life depression outcomes, as well as potential determinants and contextual factors involved in these disparities. This presentation will also describe examples of racial and ethnic variation in associations between key modifiable risk factors for depression and markers of biological aging.
Speaker Bio
Dr. Okereke is a Board-certified geriatric psychiatrist, Director of Geriatric Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), Director of the MGH Psychiatry Center for Racial Equity and Justice, Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and Associate Professor in Epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Her research focuses on modifiable risk factors and prevention of adverse mental aging and reduction of health disparities in aging. Since 2008 she has been Principal Investigator of a K08, multiple R01-level grants, and numerous other awards in late-life mental health, dementia and disparities. Her commitment to training the next generation of scholars is illustrated by current mentoring roles on 2 T32 and 2 R25 grants. Her expertise in aging has been recognized with invitations as a NIA Geroscience Summit panelist and standing member (2013-2019 term) of an NIH study section. Dr. Okereke has been extensively involved in organizational leadership, community volunteering and education over the past 15 years including: past membership on the Board of Directors of the Alzheimer’s Association MA/NH Chapter (6-year term limit) and Chair of the Chapter’s Medical and Scientific Advisory Committee; election to the Board of Directors of the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry (AAGP); current service on the AAGP Board as Chair of the Research Committee; two 3-year terms on the American Psychiatric Association (APA) Council on Geriatric Psychiatry. She has been recognized with the Distinguished Fellow honor from both the AAGP and the APA and the Outstanding Psychiatrist Award for Research from the Massachusetts Psychiatric Society.