Stark Lab

10/06/2026

Read about causes of falls, fall risk factors, and how to prevent them in USA Today, featuring Susy!

Aging doesn't mean falls are inevitable. People of any age can take steps to reduce their risk.

07/31/2026

While falls are often considered a problem for older adults, evidence shows that falls are also of concern for people aging (ages 45-64) with long-term physical disabilities.

In our cohort study of health and participation of this population, we found that falls, falls in multiple years, and fall-related injuries are common and are also associated with aging-with-disability symptoms, particularly fatigue.

This study underscores the importance of fall prevention for people aging with disability. More research is needed on interventions that address symptoms like fatigue as components of fall prevention programs.

Read the paper, now available online ahead of print in Disability and Health Journal: https://buff.ly/hRIeItf

06/30/2026

Yoyo Ding, a trainee in the WashU Institute for Clinical and Translational Sciences TL1 Predoctoral Clinical Research Program, did a great job presenting her research at the Conference on Cognition, Aging and Speech Communication! Her study found associations between multisensory decline and cognitive decline in preclinical Alzheimer’s disease.

06/09/2026

Congratulations to coauthors on the publication on our Delphi study of a dyadic social support intervention for people with TBI!

We built consensus on intervention components among a panel through three iterative surveys. This collaborative, community-engaged approach to intervention development can generate interventions that are both theoretically sound and implementable in the context where they are most needed.

05/21/2026

Another publication hot off the presses! We found that TIMM, a tailored medication management intervention for older adults, is feasible, acceptable and may reduce barriers and improve performance of medication management.

Interventions to address polypharmacy and improve adherence are insufficient for community-dwelling older adults. To examine the feasibility, acceptability, and...

05/15/2026

Our article on fall research funding relative to the public health burden of falls is now available online in the American Journal of Health Promotion.

We found that research funding on falls is disproportionately low despite the significant impact falls have on health and mortality for older adults. Addressing this gap in fall prevention funding is especially urgent as the aging population grows.

https://buff.ly/ovhJA4S

Purpose To examine the relationship between fall-related mortality, disability-adjusted life years (DALY), healthcare expenditures, and research funding and det...

05/14/2026

WashU School of Public Health has a new name: WashU Bursky School of Public Health! The Bursky Family Foundation’s $200M commitment will be transformational for our school and for public health. We are so excited for the work that can happen as a result of this commitment.

WashU Bursky School of Public Health leads interdisciplinary research, education, and public health innovation to improve health locally and globally.

05/11/2026

Reminder: Susy will be speaking at the Aging with Developmental Disabilities Conference at the St. Charles Convention Center tomorrow afternoon!

The dangers of falls for older adults are widely acknowledged, but falls can also threaten the safety, health and independence of adults aging with disabilities. However, falls can be prevented. Join us to learn more about how to minimize the risk of falls for adults aging with developmental disabilities.

04/24/2026

Susy was recently featured in The New York Times - Well - Health! Check out the story, highlighting recommendations for how to prevent falls at home!

Dangerous trips and slips can happen to anyone, but they can often be averted by taking a few common-sense steps.

04/06/2026

We are excited to announce that our undergraduate research assistant Izzy Erdmann was selected for WashU's Summer Undergraduate Research Guided Experience (SURGE) program! Congratulations, Izzy!