The Gerontological Public Health Training Program fosters the development of research skills of predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees with backgrounds in policy, behavioral, or social sciences with career aims to study the health and well-being of adults older than 50. 

Trainees in this program benefit from the support of a primary mentor and others while developing their research leadership skills. Fellows can direct portions of established studies, or advance their own research agendas. They are encouraged to write grants and present findings on campus and at national scholarly meetings.

The training program is part of the Center for Research on Health and Aging, housed in the Institute for Health Policy and Research at the University of Illinois at Chicago, and located within the Illinois Medical District, one of the largest concentrations of advanced health care facilities in the world. The Center for Research on Health and Aging works with many partners to conduct research, including the Chicago Department of Senior Services and national advocacy organizations such as the Alzheimer’s Association and AARP.

Thomas R. Prohaska, PhD [1], professor of community health sciences and co-director of the Center for Research on Health and Aging, directs the training program.

Trainees in the program recently have conducted research and published findings about:

• The ways in which arthritis affects perceptions of exercise and physical activity levels
• Memory loss among older adults, including those with Alzheimer’s disease
• Stress and other experiences related to heart disease among older African American women living in Chicago

As part of the IHRP, trainees in this program benefit from a larger intellectual community. They also can participate in activities of other IHRP training programs. Read more about current IHRP fellows. [2]