Welcome to the HOPE Lab

Learning together how to age well.

The HOPE Lab (Helping Older People Engage) studies strategies we can all use to maintain and increase well-being as we grow older.  We study ways to maintain and grow meaningful social connections in later life.

People around the world are living longer and the number of older adults worldwide is on the rise —a phenomenon termed “population aging.” The United Nations estimates there are now 700 million people aged 60 years and over. By 2050 that figure will rise to over 2 billion. Growing old is a journey more and more of us will have the privilege of experiencing—a journey that is not just about challenges. For many people, growing older allows them to gain increased perspective on life and what is most valuable, develop increased relationship satisfaction, and more frequently experience positive emotions. However, those positive experiences do not develop for all of us due to a diverse range of challenges. Members of the HOPE Lab study psychosocial challenges some adults face as they grow older. We work to develop strategies to address these challenges. In particular, we focus on testing interventions to promote social engagement, social connectedness, and well-being.  We are delighted you are interested in our work and invite you to contact us if you are interested in joining our team.