SFU Gerontology

“It's important to highlight the dual stigma that people in the dementia community often experience – the stigma of aging and the discrimination that comes with living with dementia,” says Kishore Seetharaman, post-doctoral fellow in the Department of Gerontology.

SFU study pushes for more inclusive urban design for people living with dementia Navigating Vancouver’s streets on foot can feel somewhat perilous. Cars, cyclists and e-scooters come at you from all directions. Construction shuts off walkways leading to diversions. Sidewalks are often uneven and in need of repair.

How do genealogical technologies reshape family dynamics?

Join Simon Fraser University | Continuing Studies for a free lecture featuring Barbara Mitchell on “Family History, Genealogy and ‘Long-Lost Relatives’: The Psycho-Social Impacts of DNA Testing Discoveries in Mid and Later Life.”

📍SFU Harbour Centre Campus
🗓 June 9 from 11:30 am - 1:30 pm

Register here: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/family-history-genealogy-and-long-lost-relatives-tickets-1987960479308?aff=livewhale&_gl=1*fqhl4n*_gcl_au*MTU0MzUxNTUzMC4xNzczOTU3NzIy*_ga*MTUzODQwNjY3MS4xNzczOTU3NzIy*_ga_R4BCVYL1QF*czE3NzgxODExMzAkbzU4JGcwJHQxNzc4MTgxMTM0JGo1NiRsMCRoMA..

Family History, Genealogy and “Long-Lost Relatives” Join SFU’s Liberal Arts and 55+ Program for a free lecture on Tue, June 9.

At 12 years old, associate professor Theodore Cosco began volunteering at a long-term care facility to support his grandmother, who was experiencing early symptoms of dementia.

That experience inspired a career focused on mental health, aging, and technology-driven health research.

Learn more about his work, supported by Michael Smith Health Research BC:

From personal experience to generational impact | Michael Smith Health Research BC Research with impact often starts at home. For Dr. Theodore Cosco, it began with his grandmother’s journey with dementia.

We are pleased to share the recordings from the 33rd John K. Friesen Conference. Thank you to all the speakers and attendees who contributed to such thoughtful and engaging discussions!

Access the recordings: https://www.sfu.ca/grc/events/friesen/2026.html

🌍 Climate Change & Aging: A Community Conversation

On April 21st, the Inclusive Environments Lab was proud to support the Women's Age Lab at Women's College Hospital in hosting a World Café at the SFU Centre for Dialogue, bringing together people with lived experience, community members, researchers, and advocates to explore the intersection of climate change and aging.

Guided by three powerful questions, participants reflected on what it truly means to grow older in a changing climate:
Feel — exploring personal emotions and lived experiences with climate change and aging.
Think — examining existing supports and identifying the gaps in our communities.
Act — envisioning collaboration, who needs to be included, and where we should focus our efforts and actions to drive real change.

The World Café is one of the knowledge mobilization approaches their lab is adapting. It is a structured, collaborative dialogue process designed to facilitate open conversation, knowledge sharing, and collective wisdom. It creates space for voices that are too often missing from research and policy conversations to be truly heard.

This is just the beginning. The Inclusive Environments Lab is committed to continuing to explore innovative ways to bridge research, community, and action, and they look forward to sharing more along the way. 💚

This Earth Day (April 22), the Simon Fraser University Gerontology Research Centre spotlights climate change in an aging world 🌎

Older Canadians are already experiencing the impacts—and helping drive solutions through community action and shared knowledge.

Join the conversation April 22–23.

Learn more: https://www.sfu.ca/grc/stories/blog/earth-day-friesen.html

On Earth Day, SFU conference highlights climate risks and the role of older Canadians in climate action The 33rd John K. Friesen Conference on Climate Change in an Aging World will bring together members of the public, practitioners, policymakers, and researchers.

Be part of the discussion at the 2026 Friesen Conference! 🌱

Hear how older adults are leading the charge on climate action, advocating for change, and inspiring communities to build a greener, more resilient world.

Register here: https://friesen2026.eventbrite.ca

Explore "Community-Based Climate Justice Approaches to Urban Heat and Aging" at the 2026 Friesen Conference!

From housing and tenant rights to lived experiences of extreme heat, this panel highlights how communities are rethinking care, connection, and the “right to cool” for older adults.

Register here: https://friesen2026.eventbrite.ca

Discover innovative approaches to climate resilience at the "Fostering Resilience in an Era of Climate Change" symposium at the 2026 Friesen Conference!

Register here: https://friesen2026.eventbrite.ca

Join us for a public lecture exploring how lived experiences of climate disasters can reshape the way we understand risk, recovery, and resilience.

Older adults are among those most vulnerable to extreme heat, wildfire smoke, floods, and other climate-driven disasters. In this lecture, journalist and University of Victoria professor Sean Holman examines the theory and methodology behind the Climate Disaster Project, an international teaching newsroom that partners with survivors to co-create testimonies about their lived experiences. Drawing on trauma-informed journalism, oral history, and participatory research, this approach treats survivors as knowledge holders rather than victims. By foregrounding the lived knowledge of those most affected—including many older adults—the Climate Disaster Project offers a new framework for understanding climate risk and recovery, as well as informing more humane policy responses.

This portion of the conference is free and open to everyone.

🗓️ April 22, 2026, at 6:30 pm
📍 Earl & Jennie Lohn Policy Room (HC 7000)