Longevity and Vitality

Inspiring Healthy, Active Aging and Preventing Chronic Disease

In 2020, 20% of the developed world will be 65 years or older. The graying of our population will create new global socioeconomic challenges related to the diseases of aging such as, dementia and Alzheimer’s, sarcopenia and physical debility, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and infections. We must continue to address the growing challenges of an aging Amerian and global population through research, intervention, and policy guidance. The Friedman School’s relationship with the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging will be vital to accomplishing this strategic aim.

News and Media

Associated Goals

Goal I: Reduce the double burdens of hunger and obesity in the United States and internationally.

Recruit new faculty with expertise in global chronic disease and global nutrition.

Build capacity and expertise around innovative metrics for assessing global issues central to food security and obesity.

Leverage our research and advocacy work to engage with governments, NGOs, and the media to achieve change.

Goal II: Reduce nutrition-related health inequities.

Recruit new faculty with expertise in health disparities and health inequities.

Leverage novel technologies to reduce nutrition-related health disparities.

Promote research and advocacy efforts that focus on urban food issues, taking advantage of our downtown Boston location, urban-based agriculture, food, and environment work, urban school and worksite wellness research, and the global work of the Feinstein International Center.

Goal III: Unite research and interventions that focus on families, households, and communities.

Bring together the complementary expertise of the Friedman School, HNRCA, and Feinstein International Center faculty to catalyze new projects across different ages, populations, and community settings.

Establish expertise in innovative methodology in multigenerational work.

Expand expertise in community-based participatory research.

Goal IV: Expand our leadership in the science and practice of scale.

Establish resources to allow faculty to leverage funding streams that support scaling work.

Encourage cross-collaboration and sharing of experiences and knowledge among researchers around scaling efforts, for instance, in global hunger, childhood obesity, and longevity and vitality.

Cultivate expertise in the science of scale through hiring new faculty or providing special grants.

Goal V: Integrate principles of social justice, inclusion, and diversity in the School's teaching, research, student experiences, partnerships, and advocacy.

Actively promote a culture of social justice, equity, and advocacy among faculty, staff, and students.

Identify academic and social support systems that serve the unique needs of diverse student populations.

Enhance expertise and capacity for communicating with racially, culturally, socioeconomically, and geographically diverse audiences.

Continue to support research and advocacy work focused on those in greatest need.

Goal VI: Catalyze interdisciplinary, collaborative, and translational science.

Promote, support, and reward interdisciplinary collaborations across biological and human sciences within the Friedman School, HNRCA, other Tufts schools, and beyond.

Develop a network of expert partners outside Tufts to catalyze interdisciplinary, translational projects.

Build faculty capacity to work in interdisciplinary teams to be competitive in pursuing multidisciplinary funding opportunities.

Enhance resources specifically dedicated to the translation of research, including funds, partnerships, incentives to researchers, and staff time.

Expert Faculty

Reem Alsukait

Reem Alsukait

Doctoral Candidate

Lynne M. Ausman

Lynne M. Ausman

Professor

Sarah Booth

Sarah Booth

Professor

Sean B. Cash

Sean B. Cash

Associate Professor

Kenneth Kwan Ho Chui

Kenneth Kwan Ho Chui

Associate Professor, Secondary Faculty

Kenneth Kwan Ho Chui

Kenneth Kwan Ho Chui

Associate Professor, Secondary Faculty

Gerard Dallal

Gerard Dallal

Professor Emeritus

Sai Das

Sai Das

Professor

Paul F. Jacques

Paul F. Jacques

Professor

Jiantao Ma

Jiantao Ma

Assistant Professor

Joel B. Mason

Joel B. Mason

Professor

Nirupa Rachel Matthan

Nirupa Rachel Matthan

Associate Professor

Diane L. McKay

Diane L. McKay

Assistant Professor

Dariush Mozaffarian

Dariush Mozaffarian

Distinguished Professor

Susan Roberts

Susan Roberts

Adjunct Professor

Irwin H. Rosenberg

Irwin H. Rosenberg

Professor Emeritus

David Rush

David Rush

Professor Emeritus

Xiang-Dong Wang

Xiang-Dong Wang

Professor

Fang Fang Zhang

Fang Fang Zhang

Associate Professor