Jessica Finlay Leads Interdisciplinary Research and Presentations on Aging and Cognition
GOAL gathering at the Gerontological Society of America annual meeting, Seattle, WA, November 2024
Dr. Jessica Finlay has been at the forefront of several major initiatives in aging and cognitive health. In May 2024, she led to launch the Life Course Cognability project, a study exploring neighborhood experiences and perspectives across different life stages. Workshop participants, including contributors and collaborators, engaged in brainstorming, method development, and strategic planning to expand the project nationwide. Dr. Finlay and her team are preparing to apply for R01 funding for the project in 2025.
In addition, Dr. Finlay co-founded the Geographies of Aging and the Life Course (GOAL) research group, which provides a supportive network for social scientists studying aging. With over 130 members, GOAL facilitates collaboration through in-person events at conferences like PAA, IMGS, and GSA, as well as virtual workshops. At the October virtual meeting, an NIH officer shared insights on navigating funding applications. GOAL will host multiple symposiums at AAG Detroit in 2025.
Dr. Finlay’s expertise was also highlighted in August 2024 when she was invited to present at a National Academies session titled . She shared findings from her Life Course Cognability research on how early- and mid-life neighborhood environments influence later-life cognitive health, contributing to an important discussion among researchers and policymakers on advancing health outcomes across the life course.