Events

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNAi6kpy14w Abstract: This webinar explores how participatory co-design approaches can transform the development of technologies for older adults and their care partners, with a focus on Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Dr. Nicole Werner highlights how traditional “designer knows best” models often result in technologies that fail to meet real-world needs, leading to poor adoption and limited impact. Through compelling stories and examples, she demonstrates how human-centered design engages end users in every stage of development to create solutions that are usable, acceptable, and scalable. Attendees will learn about integrating co-design within the NIH Stage Model for behavioral intervention development, strategies for meaningful caregiver engagement, and methods to align user needs with commercialization goals. By the end of the session, participants will understand how to apply these principles to create age-inclusive technologies with greater potential…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tVFTmTnYb4M Abstract: Various technologies are now available that purport to support families, friends, and other unpaid individuals who care for older adults living with dementia. Although such technologies may hold promise, it remains less clear whether these technologies are truly effective or aligned with the heterogeneity of dementia care, particularly dementia care that takes place in the community. This presentation will summarize recent findings and identify opportunities to utilize technology to advance the science and support of dementia care.upport them as they engage in this vital role. Biography: Joseph E. Gaugler, PhD, Robert L. Kane Endowed Chair in Long-Term Care & Aging in School of Public Health, Distinguished McKnight University Professor at University of Minnesota Joe Gaugler is the Robert L. Kane Endowed Chair in Long-Term Care & Aging in the School of Public Health…

https://youtu.be/UnOF4u6fJgA?si=5N88WA9xdH7XPESb Abstract: Designing health technologies for older adults presents unique challenges that extend beyond technical feasibility to encompass behavioral, social, and ethical considerations. In this talk, Dr. Pedja Klasnja explores how user-centered design (UCD) methods can address the “wicked problems” inherent in developing interventions for this population. He illustrates how UCD’s iterative and participatory approach enables teams to co-create solutions that are meaningful and adaptable to older adults’ diverse needs and circumstances. The presentation highlights two key design tools—personas and scenarios—as powerful frameworks for translating user research into actionable design decisions. Personas synthesize data about user groups, motivations, and constraints, helping design teams recognize and accommodate heterogeneity within older adult populations. Scenarios build on this foundation by envisioning how individuals might interact with technologies in real-world contexts, uncovering potential usability issues, privacy concerns, and unintended…

https://youtu.be/FXBL5xMj9ig?si=0ujyIT1f6y8sExZX Abstract: Clinical trials are the workhorse of testing new treatments with regards to evaluating the effect they have on health outcomes. Traditional clinical trials and clinical research studies are often centralized around a specific physical location such as a clinic or hospital and rely heavily on a “high-touch”, in-person approach with study staff and coordinators. The downstream effects can have a negative impact on recruitment from populations not affiliated with the site despite potentially benefiting the most from the proposed research. Decentralizing the model and designing for the participant to meet them where they are provides a new paradigm. The advent and continued advance of digital health technologies has added considerable flexibility in the types of research questions that can be asked and answered. Biography: Edward Ramos, PhD, Chief Scientific Officer at CareEvolution; Director…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPkrI7U3QMI Abstract: In this webinar, Dr. Diane Cook (Washington State University) introduces the concept of digital twins as a powerful framework for modeling the health, behavior, and environmental context of older adults in real time. Drawing from years of research in smart homes and pervasive computing, Dr. Cook explains how sensor-based monitoring can be used to build personalized digital representation, i.e. “twins" of individuals, enabling proactive support for aging in place. This talk outlines the components and lifecycle of a digital twin, including data streams from ambient sensors, activity recognition, anomaly detection, and health trajectory modeling. Dr. Cook highlights applications in detecting changes in daily routines, predicting health risks, and informing interventions before crises occur. She shares findings from longitudinal studies, discusses the potential for integrating AI with environmental and behavioral data, and emphasizes the…