Annual Report FY 17-18

MISSION

The mission of the Stanford Center on Longevity is to redesign long life. The Center studies the nature and development of the human life span, looking for innovative ways to use science and technology to solve the problems of people over 50 by improving the well-being of people of all ages. Learn more.

Director’s Letter

Dear Friends,

Our three research divisions – Mind, Mobility and Financial Security continue to develop practical, impactful research programs that are focused on outcomes that can influence daily life. As we develop our research agenda, we actively seek the input of key influencers and decisions-makers who ultimately have the ability to effect a change. 

We featured William F. Frey, author of “The Millennial Generation – A Demographic Bridge to America’s Diverse Future” of the Brookings Institution, who is an internationally regarded demographer, known for his research on urban populations, migration, immigration, race, aging, political demographics and his expertise on the U.S. Census. We also hosted a talk by Joseph Coughlin, author of “The Longevity Economy: Inside the World’s Fastest Growing, Most Misunderstood Market,” and Founding Director of the MIT AgeLab.

With the  Sightlines Project, we continued to tackle the goal of making the data accessible and relevant –beginning work on the first in-depth analysis report on Financial Security to be published in the Fall of 2018.

We are pleased with the continued growing interest and engagement in our annual Design Challenge.  This year’s challenge, “Promoting Lifelong Healthy Habits through Design” was chosen to designs to create and support healthy habits – including financial, physical, and social behaviors—which are shown to improve quality of life.    We continue to see very strong geographic diversity with representation from 20 countries.  The winner, ““Ride Rite” from Virginia Tech is a bicycle handlebar designed for older adults who have started to lose confidence in their ability to safely go on bike trips.

During this year of reflection on the past and looking toward the future, we continue to be grateful for the support and counsel of the SCL Advisory Council and especially grateful to Council Chairman, Jim Johnson, for his remarkable leadership.

Laura Carstensen
Director

MIND DIVISION

The mission of the Mind Division is to harness the human capital represented in a growing number of mature and talented older citizens. Absent significant disease, aging is associated with an increase in knowledge and expertise, emotional stability and heightened motivation to engage in meaningful work. At the same time, the speed and efficiency of new learning typically declines with age, as does sensory functioning affecting hearing and vision. Such changes can hamper the effectiveness with which people engage with work, families and communities.

The Center aims to develop and evaluate infrastructures that channel the strengths of older people into families, workplaces, and communities. This includes improving cutting-edge technologies that compensate for deficits in hearing, vision and balance. We work to understand and improve how older people make important decisions about health care and financial matters. We also pursue efforts to distinguish normal from disease-related aging in cognition, so that interventions and policies are targeted appropriately.

2017-18 PROJECTS

Stanford Task Force on Hearability, and Hearing Loss and Social Engagement

Following our “Improving Communication for People with Hearing Loss” launch conference, we have progressed on a few action items:

  • We created a “Task Force” at Stanford University to show how public and private spaces on campus could be designed with hearing well in mind, for both people with and without hearing loss. The Task Force submitted a proposal to the Long-Range Planning process initiated by the President of Stanford University. Already, the University has decided to make three more classrooms/auditoriums more “hearable” and are installing sound amplification technology into those spaces.
  • We are working on a research project with Eargo, a start-up hearing aid company which has designed a better and less expensive hearing aid. Our hypothesis is, does using Eargo lead to improvements in social engagement and in turn, cognitive functioning?  We will study a group of people with mild to moderate hearing loss, half of whom use Eargo and the other half are controls, and follow them over time, assessing both engagement and cognitive function. We will observe short- and long- term changes, and bring people into the lab to measure interactions with family members versus strangers. We are currently fine-tuning the proposal, and then will to submit for IRB approval. Eargo, Ned Spieker and Chuck Schwab have all generously agreed to support this research.
  • Advisory Council member Irene Mecchi had a great idea that is developing into an exciting social media campaign and research project. We are interested in enlisting famous aging musicians to talk about how important hearing is to their craft and their lives and how hearing aids help them achieve their goals. We have created a vision document and are in discussions with “Friends of Irene” who are in the business. In addition, faculty affiliate Jonathan Berger is interested in using this campaign in a research project on reducing stigma through innovative hearing aid technology.
  • Stanford Medicine Magazine has dedicated their entire Spring 2018 issue on Listening. One of the articles, Hear and Now, focuses on new technologies in hearing aids, describes our launch conference and interviewed several conference attendees.

Study of the Cognitive Benefits of Volunteering–Santa Clara County Project

Since our last meeting, we have sent an additional wave of recruitment emails (to date, 3 waves of recruitment emails have been sent to close to 7000 County employees). Over 130 interested subjects have been referred to the Volunteer Services Manager at the County, and we have piloted a few research subjects. In order to reach retirees, we are now switching our recruitment efforts to regular “snail” mail, and are developing the flyers to send out the mailings.

Family Decision-Making Surrounding Life-Threatening Illness

Updates on our work in this space include:

  • We are hosting two Visiting Scholars from Japan whose work focuses on end-of-life issues. Mariko Shiozakiand Dr. Kouhei Masumotoare currently conducting research on cognitive bias in decision-making in older adults, with special attention to satisfaction and regret about choices. They plan to characterize decision-making processes during the end-of-life stage by verifying constituent elements of happiness and regret, as well as the influence of aging in the context of cultural differences.
  • Our Mind Division Faculty Leader, Dr. Jeremy Bailenson, published a new book on VR called Experience on Demand and was interviewed on KQED, where he mentions SCL and our intent to use VR to help make better health decisions.

Staff, Student and Other Updates

  • We oversaw the Winter and Spring quarters of Psych 189 (our Practicum course for undergraduates), creating the syllabus and designing the content, schedule and deliverables. We met weekly with the students as they work on in-depth assignments with our staff. Our students have been primarily helping us develop our new Century Lives podcast series.
  • In addition, we coordinated the Winter and Spring quarter Emeriti Lectures, and Dr. Jeremy Bailenson spoke about his new book at the February lecture, and Drs. Iris Litt and Phil Pizzo presented to our Emeriti Council members in May.
  • Finally, we have been working closely with Dr. Tamara Sims on The Sightlines Project Social Engagement content, and planning for the next deep dive report due out summer 2019.
Faculty and Staff

FACULTY LEADER

  • Jeremy Bailenson, PhD
    Associate Professor of Communication; Director, Virtual Human Interaction Lab

FACULTY ADVISORS

  • Jonathan Berger, DMA
    Denning Family Provostial Professor, Department of Music; Co-Director of Stanford Institute for Creativity and the Arts (SiCa); Co-Director of Stanford’s Art Initiative; William R. and Gretchen B. Kimball University Fellow in Undergraduate Education
  • William Damon, PhD
    Professor of Education and Senior Fellow, by courtesy, at the Hoover Institution; Director, Center on Adolescence
  • Hank Greely, JD
    Deane F. and Kate Edelman Johnson Professor of Law and, Professor, by courtesy, of Genetics; Director, Center for Law and Biosciences
  • Michael Greicius, MD
    Assistant Professor, Neurology and Neurological Sciences and, by courtesy, of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences; Principal Investigator, Functional Imaging in Neuropsychiatric Disorders Lab
  • Gerald Popelka, PhD
    Chief of Audiology, Stanford University School of Medicine; Department of Otolaryngology, Audiology, School of Medicine
  • Jeanne Tsai, PhD
    Associate Professor of Psychology; Director, Culture and Emotion Lab

CENTER TEAM

  • Amy Yotopoulos
    Director
  • Marie Conley Smith
    Social Science Research Professional

MOBILITY DIVISION

Mobility is strongly associated with quality of life – the ability to move about independently at home and at work, to move about our community, to travel to distant places. Embedded in the concept of mobility is physical fitness across the life course, which is central to the notion of healthy aging.  Maintaining physical fitness is a major focus of the division, including projects on exercise, reducing sedentary behavior, optimal nutrition, and measurement of fitness through wearable devices.  Beyond  lifestyle choices, research in the biology of aging holds promise that therapeutics may emerge that may be able to extend the period of physical fitness and delay the onset of functional decline. Technological advances also may be able to enhance functionality even in the face of physical decline associated with chronic disease.

The Mobility Division looks to improve the lives of people in all of these ways by leveraging Stanford research, bringing individual disciplines together to create larger solutions, and working with industry and government to translate academic research into products to benefit individuals and society.

In addition to encouraging and supporting research, the Mobility Division strives to be a source of unbiased, scientifically-based information amid a proliferation of confusing, and often conflicting, messages related to changes that occur during aging and how to delay, arrest, or even reverse such changes.

2017-18 PROJECTS

2017-2018 Stanford Center on Longevity Design Challenge: “Promoting Lifelong Healthy Habits through Design”

The Design Challenge Finals, held on April 17th, were attended by approximately 200 people from industry, academia, and the investment community. The following designs were selected as winners of the Challenge:

1stPlace: RideRite, the winner of this year’s Design Challenge, was included in the Cooper-Hewitt exhibit “Access+Ability,” which ran through the summer of 2018 in the museum. This was an excellent opportunity to showcase the Challenge at a national level. EatWell Dishware, the winner from the 2014 challenge, was also shown in another part of the museum and dishware sets are being sold in the gift shop.

2ndPlace: Gesturecise, from the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati. This AI-enabled desktop application detects body gestures and uses exercises as a screen unlock device, building physical activity into the workday.

3rdPlace: Gather, from San Francisco State University. This portable workbench and rest device helps to facilitate community gardening for all ages and abilities, promoting social engagement for a happier and healthier lifestyle.

The other Finalists were:

Folks Kitchenware, National University of Singapore
Kitchenware that empowers the blind to cook with confidence and dignity via tactile cues.

Posture Master, University of Pennsylvania /Washington and Lee University
A personalized, adaptive learning app that uses advanced facial and body recognition technology to monitor posture in real-time and suggest corrections.

Salivr, Brunel University (London)
A domestic saliva testing device which detects and monitors user’s vitamin levels on a daily basis to encourage healthy eating.

Seven Bridges, San Francisco State University – A platform connecting generations to foster independence and help overcome the dangers of isolation in older adults and teens.

Following the Challenge, the Finalists participated in a workshop co-hosted with the Stanford Graduate School of Business on how to create a business plan, legal issues, and funding paths.

For more information on the Design Challenge, please visit http://designchallenge.stanford.edu.

Cooper-Hewitt (Smithsonian) Design Museum Engagement
RideRite, the winner of this year’s Design Challenge, will be included in the Cooper-Hewitt exhibit “Access+Ability”, which will run from early June through September in the museum. This is an excellent opportunity to showcase the Challenge at a national level. EatWell Dishware, the winner from the 2014 challenge, is being shown in another part of the museum and dishware sets are being sold in the gift shop.

2018-2019 Stanford Center on Longevity Design Challenge: “Contributing at Every Age: Designing for Intergenerational Impact”

This new challenge topic for the upcoming year was announced at the Finals. 

To reinforce the message of multiple generations working together, teams will be required to include at least one team member outside of the age range 18-35.  This member may be the target user or contribute in some other way to product conceptualization and development. We expect this new approach will bring additional attention to the challenge and position it well for additional growth.

Influencing Nutrition with Taste

Dr. Christopher Gardner completed a feasibility pilot at the Continuing Life Community in Pleasanton, California that established the ability to test approaches for improving nutrition by working with culinary and operational staff to “lead with taste” – making the most nutritious meals also the most appealing. A new study proposal will identify specific interventions to be tested, as well as measurement techniques.

Sedentary Behavior Update

 Beginning with a seminal workshop hosted at Stanford in 2010, the Center has been involved in research to identify sedentary behavior as a health risk separate and distinct from lack of exercise. What was then a novel idea has now become part of popular knowledge (“sitting is the new smoking”). The Center will be represented in November’s American Heart Association meeting by Dr. Mary Rosenberger, who will present a paper emphasizing the role of wearable devices in tracking this behavior. Dr. Rosenberger also participated in a pre-meeting of leading scientists to update the scientific knowledge base on sedentary behavior and produced a white paper describing the updated knowledge for SCL

World Health Organization “10 Priorities Towards a Decade of Healthy Aging”

In February, the WHO released its 10 top priorities for achieving healthy aging globally. The top priority “Establishing a Platform for Innovation and Change” is a result of SCL’s participation in the working group that developed this document. SCL is currently in discussions with the WHO about potentially co-hosting a summit on the barriers to getting more investment in aging innovation.

The full 10 Priorities document can be downloaded here. 

2018 Healthy Aging Summit

The Department of Health and Human Services hosted this meeting in Washington D.C. in July. Ken Smith represented SCL on a panel examining future roles for technology in supporting health aging.

Faculty and Staff

FACULTY LEADER

  • James Landay, PhD
    Anand Rajaraman and Venky Harinarayan Professor in the School of Engineering (Computer Science)

FACULTY ADVISORS

  • Thomas Andriacchi, PhD
    Professor of Mechanical Engineering (Biomechanical Operations) and of Orthopedic Surgery, Emeritus
  • Karen Cook, PhD
    Ray Lyman Wilbur Professor of Sociology; Department Chair, Department of Sociology
  • Mary Goldstein, MD, MS
    Professor of Medicine (Center for Primary Care and Outcomes Research) and, by courtesy, of Health Research and Policy at the PAVAHCS
  • William Haskell, PhD
    Professor (Research) of Medicine, Emeritus
  • Iris F. Litt, MD
    Marron and Mary Elizabeth Kendrick Professor of Pediatrics, Emerita
  • Pamela Matson, PhD
    Richard and Rhoda Goldman Professor in Environmental Studies and Senior Fellow at Woods Institute
  • Margaret Neale, MS, PhD
    Adams Distinguished Professor of Management, Stanford Graduate School of Business; Director of the Managing Teams for Innovation and Success Executive Program; Director of the Influence and Negotiation Strategies Executive Program; Co-Director of the Executive Program for Women Leaders

CENTER TEAM

  • Ken Smith
    Director

FINANCIAL SECURITY DIVISION

In an age of unprecedented longevity, a focus on lifelong individual financial security has never been more crucial. The mission of the Financial Security Division is to bring a unique interdisciplinary perspective to financial security issues facing our society by rethinking the perceived problems around an aging population, especially retirement planning and the need to work longer. By understanding the role that research, education and policy can play in solving these issues and by looking at the problems from multiple perspectives, we will drive the dialogue forward in order to facilitate a healthier state of long-term financial security for the individual and society.

We bring together the best thinkers, policymakers, and business leaders to drive innovation and change around financial security issues. We focus our efforts on three topic areas: financial capability; the new career lifecycles; and common financial pitfalls such as fraud. For each of these areas, we identify key research and policy issues, catalyze research around practical solutions, disseminate information to key stakeholders and thought leaders, and discuss ways to encourage evidence-based policy decision. More specifically, for financial capability, we will explore how to help individuals become wise consumers of financial information and prepare for financial milestones such as retirement. For the new career lifecycle, we will redefine the concepts of “work” and “retirement” in order to reflect the reality of increased longevity. Finally, our work on common financial pitfalls such as fraud will consolidate research from a range of disciplines to form a unified understanding of fraud and effective fraud prevention.

2017-18 PROJECTS

The Spend Safely in Retirement Strategy

We have had continued interest and activity regarding this strategy since our January report. This project, supported by and in collaboration with the Society of Actuaries, identified a straightforward retirement income strategy that can be reasonably implemented in virtually any IRA or 401(k) plan, without buying an annuity or working with a financial adviser. The strategy should help financial institutions and employers assist their older middle-income workers make important life decisions, such as when they can afford to retire, how much they can spend on living expenses, and whether they should work part-time to help cover living expenses.

Outreach since our meeting in January has included three webinars and two conference presentations. The paper has received extensive media coverage including; USA Today, New York Times, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Kiplinger’s, Forbes, Fortune, Money Magazine, MSN Money, CNBC, MarketWatch, and Next Avenue. The Associated Press wrote a story that was picked up by over 100 newspapers across the country.

The Society of Actuaries has approved and is funding a follow-up project for 2018 to further explore the parameters of the Spend Safely in Retirement Strategy. We’ve started work on this project, with an anticipated completion date in the Fall 2018.

Using behavioral interventions to improve financial and health outcomes

We have had continued activity since our January report. In March 2018, Steve facilitated a summit hosted by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP). This summit was attended by 200 retirement and benefits managers. It reviewed behavioral economics principles that have the potential to improve retirement and health outcomes. One outcome of the summit was a prioritization of employee decisions that these managers would like to improve through behavioral interventions; this list can serve as a guide for fruitful future research. We plan to write a white paper summarizing the ideas from this summit.

The summit was followed up in April with a companion webinar covering similar topics.

Retirement Game-Changers: Strategies for a Healthy, Financially Secure, and Fulfilling Long Life

In late June, Steve Vernon published his latest book Retirement Game-Changers: Strategies for a Healthy, Financially Secure, and Fulfilling Long Life. It targets older workers to help them transition into retirement, however defined. It cites research from Stanford/SCL, including Sightlines, our work on retirement income and behavioral economics, as well as research from other respected sources.

Faculty and Staff

FACULTY LEADER

  • John Shoven, PhD
    Charles R. Schwab Professor of Economics; Senior Fellow, by courtesy, Hoover Institution

FACULTY ADVISORS

  • Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD
    Associate Professor of Medicine, and by courtesy in Health Research and Policy and Economics
  • Gopi Shah Goda, PhD
    Deputy Director and Senior Fellow, Stanford Institute on Economic Policy and Research (SIEPR)
  • Hazel Markus, PhD
    Davis-Brack Professor in the Behavioral Sciences
  • William F. Sharpe, PhD
    STANCO 25 Professor of Finance, Emeritus

CENTER TEAM

  • Martha Deevy
    Director
  • Steve Vernon
    Consulting Research Scholar
  • Marti DeLiema, PhD
    Postdoctoral Fellow

SIGHTLINES PROJECT

The aim of the Sightlines Project is to characterize how well Americans are doing over historical time in three key areas known to optimize longer lives: Healthy Living, Financial Security, and Social Engagement. The inaugural report illuminated where Americans need the most support. In response, since the last Advisory Council meeting, we have begun to embark upon next steps including: 1) showcase findings from Sightlines and other relevant work through our new website in order to proliferate new research, inform key influencers for policy development and program implementation, and inspire national conversation about living long and living well; and 2) conduct more in-depth analyses to determine whether and how Sightlines findings differ by various demographic contexts such as gender and geographic region to better identify subgroups that are most vulnerable.

2017-18 PROJECTS

Financial Security In-depth Sightlines Report

We are nearing the end of this second phase of the Sightlines Project, in which we have taken a more in-depth look at patterns of findings derived from the original Sightlines report and the questions raised by our advisory council, faculty affiliates, corporate affiliates and other members of the SCL network. This work will be encapsulated in a full-length research report,“The Sightlines Project Special Report: Seeing Our Way to Financial Security in the Age of Longevity”.

This report was designed to focus in on some of the most compelling findings of the initial Sightlines report, including

  • more comprehensive descriptions of variations in financial security outcomes for different segments of the American population,
  • original research further investigating factors associated with financial security using a generational lens, and
  • reviews of the latest high impact research in retirement and financial education.

As with all Sightlines reports, these findings are synthesized in order to help influencers better understand national patterns of behavior and guide informed conversations, policies, and practices around the longevity of the U.S. population.

The table of contents and select chapter drafts of the report are available here. In addition to these chapters, the final report will also include brief overviews and commentaries on select research topics (e.g., health care spending, fraud). We will pre-release the full report to the Advisory Council and our Corporate Affiliates in July, followed by a public release in early September. We welcome your feedback regarding content and/or outreach strategies.

Sightlines Impact

One goal of the Sightlines project is to use it as a diagnostic assessment and framework for learning about how to optimize longevity across various communities and organizations, so we continue to look for opportunities to engage with different subsets of the US population. Recent activities include

  • CalSTRS (California State Teachers Retirement System) survey to examine teacher attitudes about retirement and financial security in retirement. We presented our findings to their board in February

  • Stanford alumni survey to investigate Sightlines outcomes when the educational characteristics are relatively homogenous
  • Stanford student services help in crafting an undergraduate financial literacy program applying our findings to program development.
  • Fidelity Investments is applying aspects of the Sightlines framework in the development of a tool assessing employee well-being, with the goal of preventing absenteeism in the workplace.

We are also developing relationships with policy makers at both the county (King County, WA) and municipal (Los Altos, CA) levels where behavioral interventions may show the most promise.

We are especially excited about the publications of the Milestones report which highlights the tremendous impact of policy decisions on individual behavior. This report was featured in Stanford report and picked up by the Wall Street Journal for an upcoming piece on Millennials and retirement. As discussed in the interview, the Milestones project findings illustrate how institutional policies (i.e., default retirement plans) are poised to change Americans’ long- standing goals for retirement and optimize decision making in this era.

We have also made great efforts in further expanding our research and communications networks. To do so, we have begun developing new relationships with potential collaborators within Stanford such as new faculty, research centers, and students, and outside of Stanford connecting with new corporate entities and community-based organizations to raise awareness and discuss the possibility for new research and communication opportunities. A primary outlet for initial connections is The Sightlines Project website. The website is a repository of our own work as well as those in our network including the latest data analysis and descriptions of project methods, publications (i.e., research briefs and full-length reports, new, upcoming white papers, expert interviews and commentaries), and diverse perspectives on all three Sightlines domains (i.e., financial security, social engagement, healthy living). In addition to the website, we regularly give presentations at national conferences and invited meetings, connect with journalists to discuss the Sightlines framework and our latest research, and post the latest Sightlines findings on social media daily (during our Milestones release we had a remarkable 1,408 impressions per tweet average).

This year, our goal is to finalize development and implement a formal communications strategy to double our outreach efforts beginning with the public release of the Financial Security report. We will launch our social media campaign to “tease” findings from the report and engage faculty and other experts in commentary prior to the public release. After the nationwide publication of the report, we will continue the conversation using video interviews, written commentaries and podcasts via our website and social media platforms. We will also present findings through a series of online and in-person presentations by report authors and other contributors to diverse audiences spanning academia and industry.

Faculty and Staff

CENTER TEAM

  • Tamara Sims
    Research Analyst
  • Jialu Streeter
    Research Data Analyst
  • Jessica Roth
    Social Science Research Professional & Web Production Assistant 

EVENTS

SCL 10 Year Anniversary Celebration

In celebration of its 10th anniversary, on September 21, 2017, the Stanford Center on Longevity hosted a daylong symposium to showcase the science of longevity and articulate the societal challenges that longer lives bring.

The symposium featured preeminent individuals representing a range of disciplines, industry leaders poised to distribute innovative products and services to the public, and thought leaders who help to shape ideas that influence cultural change. Keynote speakers included Wendy Whelan, Craig Venture, Steven Austad, Paul Saffo, Chip Conley, Derek Thompson, and Natalie Warne. Special guests included Stanford University President Marc Tessier-Lavigne, and National Academy of Medicine President Victor Dzau.

Panel conversations included discussion around the biology of aging that promise to dramatically improve health span, how we envision an ideal longevity society and the steps we need to achieve it, as well as implications for societies when people live out their full lives.  The panels were interspersed with video clips of faculty affiliated with the Center from across the Stanford campus about their research on different facets of longevity.  The audience was also polled throughout the day to determine how people think about different aspects of human wellbeing. Additionally, there were interactive exhibits featuring the impacts of technology on aging that included a virtual reality experience, an age progression booth for audience members to track their aging appearance over time, and a booth set up featuring various products and services addressing aging issues that have been presented as part of the Stanford Center on Longevity’s Design Challenge competition over the last 4 years. The conference concluded with a multigenerational jazz performance featuring vibraphonist, Michael Mainieri.

The symposium was a celebration of human wellbeing over a longer life span and gave participants a greater understanding and appreciation of what individuals and societies need to do to address longevity in the 21st century.

The event was sponsored by the following entities and individuals: Target, AARP, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Continuing Life, Fidelity, Halbert Hargrove, Home Care Assistance, The Jameson Family Foundation, Mercer, Palo Alto Institute, Transamerica, United Income, Drs. Kimberly Bazar and Joon Yun, Kathleen Brown on behalf of the Annenberg Foundation, James and Heather Johnson, Ned Spieker, and Rich & Linda Tarplin.

Learn more

June 22, 2018 | William F. Frey: “The Millennial Generation – A Demographic Bridge to America’s Diverse Future”

SCL hosted a presentation by William F. Frey, of the Brookings Institution, who is an internationally regarded demographer, known for his research on urban populations, migration, immigration, race, aging, political demographics and his expertise on the U.S. Census. His latest report, “The Millennial Generation – A Demographic Bridge to America’s Diverse Future,” examines the demographic makeup of millennials for the nation, the largest 100 metropolitan areas, and all 50 states and discusses the impacts resulting from these demographic shifts. Bill’s talk was followed by a panel discussion led by Stanford Professor, Aliya Saperstein, further examining the changes in the demographic makeup of the US.

April 12, 2018 | Joseph Coughlin:  “The Longevity Economy”

On April 12th, the Center hosted Dr. Joseph Coughlin, Founder and Director of the MIT AgeLab for this year’s Longevity Innovations Speaker Series. The event was jointly hosted by the DCI Innovation Hub and the Center. Dr. Coughlin’s research explores how longer life, technology trends and changing generational attitudes are converging globally to transform business and society. In December 2017, he published a new book, The Longevity Economy: Unlocking the World’s Fastest Growing, Most Misunderstood Market.

During his talk, Dr. Coughlin emphasized that the discussion about aging and elderly are mostly wrong. In his book, he cites the groundbreaking research of Dr. Laura Carstensen, on Socioemotional Selectivity Theory and happiness in older age. The main point is that rather than viewing aging as years of decline, life after 65 (or 75 or even 85) can be full of possibility, exploration and learning. Coughlin believes that the business community has not yet realized this potential. He further emphasized that one of the greatest under-appreciated sources of innovation and new business may in fact be women over 50, and described entrepreneurship as the new women’s movement. According to Coughlin, the longevity economy is not just about the money to be made, but the reality that after age 65, there is much to be done. He cites there are 8000 days after age 65 that an individual should plan on. His vision of the longevity economy is about activating the full life span – so we live not just longer, but better.

 

SCL NEWS

AUGUST 23, 2018
How to fund your charitable giving in retirement – CBS MoneyWatch

JULY 22, 2018
When It Comes To Personal Finance, Don’t Believe Everything You Read – Forbes

JULY 22, 2018
Phil Burgess: As We Live Longer, We’re Changing Society So Many Ways – Capital Gazette

JULY 21, 2018
Midlife Crisis? It’s a Myth. Why Life Gets Better After 50. – The Guardian

JULY 18, 2018
We Shouldn’t Start Full-time Work Until We Are 40, Expert Says – Metro UK

JULY 18, 2018
Baby Boomers Get More Selective About Friends – The Wall Street Journal

JULY 16, 2018
5 Questions: John Ioannidis Calls for More Rigorous Nutrition Research – Stanford Medicine

JULY 15, 2018
Do Longer Lives Mean That One Lifelong Marriage Isn’t Enough? – Quartz

JULY 9, 2018
Feel Like The Last Friend Standing? Here’s How To Cultivate New Buds As You Age. – Kaiser Health News

JUNE 27, 2018
A Stanford researcher says we shouldn’t start working full time until age 40 – Quartz

JUNE 2, 2018
An Overlooked Skill in Aging: How to Have Fun – The Wall Street Journal

JUNE 1, 2018
Could a little young blood reverse the effects of aging? – MarketWatch

MAY 25, 2018
How Much Can You Spend in Retirement? – U.S. News & World Report

MAY 21, 2018
Listening The art and science of hearing – Stanford Medicine

MAY 8, 2018
More Americans expect to work until 70; there are benefits – The Washington Post

MAY 7, 2018
A sure way for retirees to extend their “life” – CBS MoneyWatch

APRIL 9, 2018
How Not to Run Out of Money in Retirement –U.S. News & World Report

APRIL 9, 2018
Your long life could be the death of your retirement savings – The Washington Post

MARCH 19, 2018
Finding Meaning and Happiness in Old Age – NY Times

MARCH 1, 2018
No Pension? You Can ‘Pensionize’ Your Savings – NY Times

MARCH 1, 2018
How your employer can help boost your retirement – CBS MoneyWatch

FEBRUARY 23, 2018
Here’s a straightforward retirement income strategy for workers with no pension – MarketWatch

FEBRUARY 14, 2018
5 Ways To Find Happiness As A Family Caregiver – Forbes

FEBRUARY 14, 2018
Millennials less likely to own homes, marry and start families than older generations – Stanford Daily

FEBRUARY 12, 2018
Millennials hope to reach life milestones by the same age as other generations – Stanford News

FEBRUARY 9, 2018
Left without a pension? Check out IRAs and 401(k)s – USA Today

JANUARY 30, 2018
No pension? Use this plan for a secure retirement – Chicago Tribune

JANUARY 25, 2018
The top retirement decisions facing older workers – CBS News

JANUARY 24, 2018
Stanford analyzed 292 retirement strategies, says this one is best – NBC News

JANUARY 16, 2018
The Best Way to Spend Money Safely in RetirementNext Avenue

DECEMBER 29, 2017
In search of a word that won’t offend ‘old’ people – The Washington Post

DECEMBER 20, 2017
This holiday gift for seniors can save them a fortune – CBS News

DECEMBER 13, 2017
How to Invest for a 40-Year Retirement – Fortune

DECEMBER 8, 2017
Meet the “Spend Safely in Retirement” strategy – CBS News

DECEMBER 5, 2017
An almost perfect retirement income source – CBS News

NOVEMBER 22, 2017
American seniors are sicker than global peers – CBS News

NOVEMBER 19, 2017
Scammers are stealing people’s money through a scheme that has nothing to do with your password – Business Insider

OCTOBER 24, 2017
Stanford’s longevity center celebrates ten years – Scope

OCTOBER 19, 2017
Stanford celebrates 10 years of driving the discussion on longevity –Stanford News

OCTOBER 4, 2017
Best Buy Bets on Adults Remotely Monitoring Their Aging Parents – Bloomberg

OCTOBER 2, 2017
When Did You First Feel Old? – The Wall Street Journal

SEPTEMBER 26, 2017
Why America’s Inequality Is a Threat to Living Longer – Next Avenue

OCTOBER 21, 2016
How millennials can help themselves — and their parents – CBS MoneyWatch

OCTOBER 20, 2016
Do brain-training exercises really work? – CNN

OCTOBER 18, 2016
Five faculty members elected to National Academy of Medicine – Stanford Medicine

OCTOBER 11, 2016
Let’s retire retirement – BlackRock blog

OCTOBER 6, 2016
401(k) Plan Shortcomings Failing As Retirement Income Program – Forbes

OCTOBER 3, 2016
Do “Brain-Training” Programs Work? – Psychological Science in the Public Interest

OCTOBER 3, 2016
The Weak Evidence Behind Brain-Training Games – The Atlantic

OCTOBER 3, 2016
Brain Game Claims Fail A Big Scientific Test – NPR

SEPTEMBER 19, 2016
Seizing Longevity’s Competitive Advantages – Next Avenue

SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
A call for intergenerational engagement – Scope (Stanford School of Medicine blog) 

SEPTEMBER 13, 2016
A critical missing piece in 401(k) plans – CBS MoneyWatch

SEPTEMBER 12, 2016
How Higher Education Can Aid Life Transitions – Next Avenue

SEPTEMBER 8, 2016
 Older people offer the resource that children need, Stanford report says – Stanford Report

SEPTEMBER 1, 2016
 Prepare for the Rising Cost of Living in Retirement – US News and World Report

WORKING TOGETHER

The remarkable speed with which the Stanford Center on Longevity was established reflects a generous founding gift from Stanford alumnus Richard Rainwater, who recognized one of the most urgent needs of our time: adapting our society to a rapidly aging population. His gift enabled the Center to begin immediately with a core staff and with key programs in place.

Going forward, the Center’s work continues to benefit from individuals and organizations that recognize the importance and urgency of redesigning long life. During 2017-2018, the Center received generous funding from individual donors as well as from AARP, Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, The Annenberg Foundation, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, Davis Phinney Foundation, Eskaton, Fidelity Investments, FINRA Investor Education Foundation, Great West Financial, Halbert Hargrove, Home Care Assistance, JP Morgan Chase, Mercer, The Society of Actuaries, Sompo, Stoneridge Creek and Target.

Gifts help the Center embark on new research projects, develop educational programs, collaborate with faculty and disseminate research findings so they can be put into practice. To discuss opportunities for partnering with the Center, please contact:

Nancy Easterbrook, Director of External Affairs
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (650) 721-7997
Mailing Address:
Stanford Center on Longevity
Littlefield Center, Room 350
365 Lasuen Street, Stanford, CA 94305

Gifts to the Stanford Center on Longevity are tax-deductible under applicable rules. The Center is part of Stanford University’s tax-exempt status as a Section 501 (c) (3) public charity.