Advancing research into the unique health challenges women face as they age — from biology and cognition to caregiving, chronic disease, and long-term care.

The Problem

Why women’s aging health demands dedicated research

For decades, biomedical research treated men as the default subject. Women were underrepresented in clinical trials, and sex and gender differences in disease were largely overlooked. The consequences are significant and still felt today.

Women live longer than men on average — but those extra years are often marked by greater burden of disease, disability, and unmet care needs. Understanding why requires dedicated, rigorous research.

Mission

What we do

The Women in Aging SIG is a multidisciplinary research community within CHAI dedicated to generating, sharing, and translating knowledge about the health conditions and care challenges that disproportionately affect older women.

We bring together researchers, clinicians, data scientists, engineers, and policy experts to study these issues from every angle — biological, social, clinical, and technological.

Research Goals

Our scientific priorities

Neurodegeneration & cognition
Investigate the biological and hormonal mechanisms behind women’s elevated risk for Alzheimer’s and other dementias.

Chronic disease & multimorbidity
Examine how cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and autoimmune disorders manifest differently in aging women.

Mental health & well-being
Study the intersection of aging, hormonal change, social isolation, and depression in older women.

Caregiving & care access
Understand the health impacts on women as caregivers, and disparities in how older women access formal care.

Technology & health informatics
Develop and evaluate digital health tools and AI systems designed with the needs of aging women in mind.

Policy & health equity
Translate findings into policy recommendations that address systemic inequities in long-term care and healthcare access.

Research Areas

Topics members are exploring

Members of this SIG conduct and collaborate on research spanning a wide range of topics, including:

• Dementia biomarkers in women
• Menopause & brain health
• Sex differences in clinical trials
• Osteoporosis & falls
• Late-life depression
• Caregiver burden
• Long-term care disparities
• AI bias in women’s health
• Social determinants of aging
• Cardiovascular disease in women
• Assistive technology design
• Health data representation

Initiatives

Current and planned projects

• Women’s aging research landscape review
  A systematic mapping of existing research on women’s health and aging — identifying gaps, underserved populations, and opportunities for new inquiry.
• Sex & gender differences working group
  A cross-disciplinary group examining how biological sex and social gender shape aging trajectories and disease outcomes, in collaboration with AAIC and ISTAART partners.
• Research seminar series
  Regular presentations and discussions featuring SIG members and invited speakers sharing their latest findings on women’s health and aging.
• Collaborative grant development
  Facilitated grant-writing support and partnership opportunities for members pursuing funding in women’s aging health research.
• Research-to-policy translation
  Translating SIG research findings into accessible policy briefs and recommendations for healthcare systems, payers, and legislators.

Membership

Who should join?

Open to all! Any individual with an interest in women’s health and aging is welcome — whether that is your primary research focus or an area you want to explore. We value diverse disciplines and perspectives.

Researchers & academics: Working in aging, gerontology, neuroscience, women’s health, public health, or related fields.

Clinicians: Caring for aging women and interested in connecting practice with research.

Data scientists & engineers: Building tools or analyzing data relevant to women’s health and aging.

Students & early-career: Seeking to contribute to and learn from an active research community.

Current Members

• Aaron Lamb, University of Memphis
• Amir Samsam, Syrian American Medical Society
• Arshia Khan, University of Minnesota Duluth
• Bill Tiedemann, Arrowhead Area Agency on Aging
• Dananjani Liyanage, University of Minnesota Duluth
• Elizabethada Wright, University of Minnesota Duluth
• Georgia Lane, Ecolibrium3
• Hom Shrestha, York University
• Iryna Petrus, Ukrainian American Community Center
• Jomara Sandbulte, University of Minnesota Duluth
• Kathryn Milun, University of Minnesota Duluth
• Luohua Jiang, University of California, Irvine
• Madeline Harms, University of Minnesota Duluth
• Maria Bicalho, Federal University of Minas Gerais
• Tianyao Qu, Indiana University Bloomington
• Turuna Seecharan, University of Minnesota Duluth
• Zahra Rahemi, Clemson University