Over the past five years, the Institute for Life Course & Aging has enjoyed a vibrant and highly productive period of growth and achievement. Our expanding membership, innovative research in aging, and strong commitment to knowledge mobilization have shaped a dynamic and engaged community. Through workshops and seminars, faculty research and publications, social media outreach, undergraduate and graduate teaching, and special events, we have continued to advance scholarship and dialogue in meaningful ways. We are delighted to share a brief overview of these accomplishments with you below.
Cross-Appointed Faculty and Research Affiliates
Our membership has grown to 91 cross-appointed faculty members and 28 research affiliates, with 24 new members since 2021. This continued growth reflects the Institute’s strong momentum and expanding reach. Our cross-appointed members boast a collective output of over 2,900 publications, and over 198,000 citations over the last five years. They represent a rich diversity of disciplines and departments from across the university, strengthening our interdisciplinary community and enriching our collective work in life course and aging research.
The Collaborative Specialization in Aging, Palliative & Supportive Care across the Life Course – Graduate Education
The Collaborative Specialization prepares University of Toronto graduate students to develop focused expertise in aging and/or palliative and supportive care, grounded in a life course perspective.
The specialization continues to thrive, with an average of 34 students graduating annually and a total of 168 graduates between 2021 and 2025, representing 9 departments and faculties across the university. Through its strong interdisciplinary foundation and life course lens, the Collaborative Specialization meaningfully enriches students’ academic and professional development.
Student Awards
The Institute provides five endowed student research awards in aging, one of which is a travel award, given out annually. The Institute awarded a total of 31 awards over the last five years in the amount of $81,459 to students registered in the Collaborative Specialization from our member departments.
Institute Workshops for Healthcare Workers and Other Professionals
The Institute for Life Course and Aging has developed online Workshops to meet the demand for ongoing professional development among healthcare workers and other professionals working with the aging population. Workshops offer participants the opportunity to work at their own pace, interact with instructors and with other participants from a wide variety of perspectives and backgrounds.
The Institute provided 46 workshops covering 19 unique topics for health care and other professionals working with older adults. Participants attended remotely from 11 provinces and territories across Canada and 12 additional countries, and included social workers, nurses, doctors, nursing home and care programs administrators, managers and directors, occupational therapists, older adults, students and faculty.
| New Workshops Offered 2021 – 2026 | |
| 2023 | Advance Care Planning and Goals of Care Conversations with Older Adults |
| 2024 | Gottman Method Couples Therapy for Older Adults |
| 2025 | Integrating Emotion-Focused Therapy Principles and Interventions in Working with Older Adults |
| 2025 | Housing Needs of Older Adults: homelessness, housing stabilization, continuum of housing & care, and retirement communities |
Noon-Hour Research Seminars
The Institute continued to highlight the work of emerging scholars and affiliated researchers through our dynamic noon-hour online seminar series. We have hosted 16 seminars featuring the research of graduates, faculty and international scholars. These sessions attracted a diverse audience and fostered lively discussion and intellectual exchange, bringing together members of our community around a wide range of timely, engaging, and impactful topics, including:
- Successful Aging in Canada: Findings from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA)
- Turning Over a New Leaf: Links Between Nature Access and Outcomes in Long-Term Care
- Making and remaking a sense of home amidst later life homelessness
Special Events
We were delighted to participate in several special events, including U of T Talks: Growing Up Today — Modern Stressors on Aging and Health and co-sponsoring a World Hospice and Palliative Care Day Special Lecture. We also hosted a number of memorable gatherings, including the launch of Aging with Agility by Michelle Pannor Silver and an art reception celebrating the generous loan of artwork from two local older adult artists, Suk Kang and Cha Hee Park. These events brought together faculty members, students, and community members in meaningful dialogue and celebration.
Intergenerational Classroom – Undergraduate Teaching
The Health and Aging (HST308) undergraduate course, co-sponsored by the Institute and taught by Institute Research and Teaching Affiliate Dr. Raza Mirza, marked its third year in Fall 2025. This innovative intergenerational classroom model has had a meaningful impact on both undergraduate students and participating residents. The course has attracted enthusiastic media attention and even inspired one resident of Christie Gardens, Marion Gommerman, to return to school at the age of 82—an inspiring testament to the program’s transformative reach. (CBC TV) (Toronto Star) (Toronto Sun) (CBC radio) (Bell Media radio) (Citytv) (Global TV) (CBC radio: Fresh Air) (Corus radio)
International Visiting Scholars
Over the past five years, the Institute has welcomed several international visitors, including faculty colleagues from Finland and Ireland, as well as doctoral candidates from Hong Kong and the United Kingdom. We are delighted to foster such rich international collaboration and meaningful knowledge exchange, which continue to strengthen our global connections and broaden the impact of our work.
Frail Aging Simulation Suits
The Institute proudly showcases its 10 Frail Aging Simulation Suits, which have been featured in classrooms, conferences, and community settings across the province. Earlier this year, our simulation suits travelled to Parliament Hill in Ottawa, where Members of Parliament tried them on to experience firsthand some of the physical challenges of aging. The hands-on experience prompted reflection on how public policies shape the daily lives of older adults.
The suits have also been lent out to Mt. Sinai Geriatric Nursing Community of Practice, Lawrence Bloomberg Faculty of Nursing to support Age-Friendly simulation days and classroom learning, to Christie Gardens where undergraduate students experienced them in the Intergenerational Classroom, and to graduate classes at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work.
If you’re looking to spark meaningful conversations about ageism in your classroom, the suits are available—free of charge—to all Institute members and their students.
Social Media
The Institute continued to expand its communications reach, sharing twice‑daily research highlights on X (formerly Twitter) with a growing community of more than 3,100 followers, and building new momentum on BlueSky. Our weekly e‑newsletters now reach more than 4,000 educators, clinicians, and professionals across the aging sector. If you’d like to stay connected to the latest insights on aging research, including longevity, dementia, long-term care, we invite you to follow us on X/Twitter (@lifecourseUofT) or join us on BlueSky at https://bsky.app/profile/lifecourseuoft.bsky.social. You’ll find clear, engaging, and accessible summaries of new research posted twice daily.
Video Resources
The Institute YouTube Channel offers a video library of over 150 educational videos with experts on gerontological topics (e.g., dementia, sleep problems, anxiety and depression among older adults) some with over 50 thousand views.
Among the newest additions is the Dementia Awareness collection, created in 2023 in collaboration with Cyber-Seniors and experts from the University of Toronto and Université de Moncton, and funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada, with the goal of raising awareness about the signs, symptoms, and modifiable risk factors of dementia, as well as the stigma associated with it.
The Institute’s two promotional videos have been well received and continue to be promoted in information sessions and academic settings to highlight Institute activities and to promote the Collaborative Specialization.
Leadership
ILCA Director, Esme Fuller-Thomson served a two year term as co-chair of the Directors of the Canadian Research Centres on Aging which is an association of 46 centres led by CIHR’s Institute of Aging.
ILCA in the News
The Institute and its members were highly productive over the past five years, with extensive media mentions highlighting the Institute’s work and influence. This body of research was both diverse and impactful, offering practical benefits for members of the public, older adults, family caregivers, healthcare professionals, policymakers, and educators.
The Institute for Life Course & Aging has enjoyed five wonderfully productive and inspiring years, made possible by our incredible community. We are deeply grateful to our faculty members, teaching and research affiliates, students, alumni, educators, and the many healthcare professionals working with older adults for their ongoing feedback, encouragement, and engagement. Your commitment fuels our mission. As we look ahead, we’re excited for the next five years, which we anticipate will bring even greater growth, deeper connections, and a lasting impact on aging education, research and care.