Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging

01/20/2026

Thinking about how you can prioritize your health this year? Check out research-backed tips from Centre director Michael S. Kobor and investigators Lillian Hung (UBC IDEA Lab), Julie Robillard, Najib Ayas, and Silke Appel Cresswell.

01/20/2026

📊ELCHA 2024–2025 Year in Review
From research seminars and public talks to new investigators and trainee support, the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging had a year of growth, collaboration, and impact.
Highlights from our 2024–2025 Annual Report include:
• Research, training, and community engagement across the Centre
• New investigators welcomed to ELCHA
• Awards and recognition across our community
• $161,504 allocated by ELCHA to support trainees through awards and fellowships
• Translating healthy aging research into practice
👉 Explore the full Annual Report: https://healthyaging.med.ubc.ca/about/annual-reports

01/12/2026

🦻 Dialogue on Aging | January 21, 2026

Join us for “Healthy Hearing = Healthy Aging”, a virtual talk with Grace Shyng, Registered Audiologist and Clinical Assistant Professor in the UBC School of Audiology and Speech Sciences.
This session will explore how hearing loss affects health and quality of life—especially for older adults—and share best practices for managing hearing health in everyday life.

You’ll learn about:
• How hearing loss impacts healthy aging
• Hearing aids, assistive devices, and communication strategies
• Provincial advocacy efforts from Help BC Hear Better
📅 January 21, 2026
🕐 1:00–2:30 PM
📍 Virtual

👉 Register here: https://healthyaging.med.ubc.ca/events/event/dialogue-on-aging-grace-shyng

11/06/2025

🎉 We’re thrilled to celebrate two trainees affiliated with the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging who received 2025 Michael Smith Health Research BC Trainee Awards!

🧬 Dr. Monika Kowatsch
(Co-supervised by Dr. Melanie Murray & Dr. Hélène Côté)
Hormones and Inflammation among Women Living with HIV

💬 Dr. Sandeep Dhillon
(Supervised by Dr. Kristen Haase)
Understanding the Social Processes of Cancer Self-Management Among South Asian Older Adults with Chronic Health Conditions

👏 Their innovative work reflects UBC’s commitment to advancing inclusive, interdisciplinary approaches to healthy aging.

👉 Read more: https://healthyaging.med.ubc.ca/news/celebrating-our-trainees-2025-michael-smith-health-research-bc-award-recipients

11/03/2025

💡 Interested in healthy aging research?
Applications for the 2025/2026 UBC Healthy Aging Summer Student Research Awards are now open!
💰 Funded full-time research for 8 – 16 weeks (May – August 2026) under the supervision of a UBC Edwin S. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging Investigator.
📅 Applications due January 30, 2026.

Open to undergraduate students across all disciplines—must be based in B.C.
Find the award guidelines and application form here: https://healthyaging.med.ubc.ca/funding-opportunities/summer-student-research-award
🧠

10/23/2025

Do you care for someone with dementia who is living at home in the community of Comox, Courtenay, or Gibsons, BC? We want to hear from you!

Researchers from the University of British Columbia (UBC) are looking for people who are currently or in the past two years have been caring for someone living with dementia to share their experiences and support needs in a research study called “Skill-Building Needs of Dementia Caregivers.”

Feel free to share this post with anyone who may be interested. Please note that if you like, follow, or comment on this post, the public can see this and might associate you with this study.

This project is being conducted through the Master of Occupational Therapy program at the University of British Columbia supervised by principal investigator Dr. Julia Henderson. For any questions/concerns please contact Emma Jinnouchi (emmajinn@student.ubc.ca; 778-231-0480).

10/16/2025

🌎 Dialogue on Aging: Coping with Heat — Recommendations and Challenges for Aging 🌞

As climate change intensifies, communities are experiencing more frequent and severe extreme heat events. How can older adults prepare for and adapt to hotter summers?

Join Dr. Theresa Pauly, Assistant Professor in Gerontology at Simon Fraser University and Canada Research Chair in Social Relationships, Health, and Aging, for a timely talk on how physical, social, and environmental factors shape vulnerability—and what can be done to protect and strengthen resilience in aging populations.

📅 Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2025
🕝 Time: 2:30–4:00 PM PT
💻 Location: Zoom
🔗 Register: https://ubc.zoom.us/meeting/register/pzeZ1mlwT82lvnoCbE1KXw

Don’t miss this engaging session on how aging, health, and climate resilience intersect—featuring research, practical strategies, and inspiration for individual and community action.

10/07/2025

📚✨ Thank you to everyone who joined us for the launch of The Microbiome Master Key ✨📚

We had a fantastic evening with Dr. Brett Finlay, Investigator at the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging, sharing insights on how the microbes in and around us shape health, aging, and disease prevention.

🔍 The book explores how caring for your microbiome can unlock the “master key” to lifelong health — from cognition and mood to immunity and resilience.

👏 Congratulations to Dr. Finlay and co-author Dr. Jessica Finlay on this exciting release!

📖 The Microbiome Master Key is now available through major booksellers.
https://theexperimentpublishing.com/catalogs/summer-2025/the-microbiome-master-key/

10/03/2025

🧬 New Student Group: Longevity Research Circle – Vancouver 🧬

Are you a student or trainee interested in aging, longevity, or regenerative medicine? A new Vancouver chapter of the Longevity Research Circle (LRC) is launching this fall with support from the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging (ELCHA) at UBC.

Longevity Research Circle is a student-led collective for advancing aging & regenerative medicine through connection, curiosity & discourse.
📌 LRC-Vancouver aims to:
- Host local discussion groups and speaker events
- Launch an interdisciplinary aging innovation challenge in spring 2026
- Connect students with opportunities in the aging field

➡️ Fill out the interest form (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfymXUeoIEjHZZ0weoiyobidCjNDqAst2JBjZeIzU2DRGocaQ/viewform) or scan the QR code on our poster to get involved (we are recruiting!)
🔗 Follow LRC:
🐦 X: https://x.com/lrc_bio
📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lrc.bio/

10/02/2025

🎨🌱 New Videos from the Intergenerational Arts for Climate Action Study 🌱🎶

Led by Dr. Julia Henderson (ELCHA Investigator), this project explored how older adults (60+) and children (9–12) can come together through the arts to reflect on climate change, healing, and resilience.
📹 Watch the two new videos YouTube:

1️⃣ Short Documentary: Highlights from the public sharing event at Kitsilano Neighbourhood House (Aug 24, 2024) → https://youtu.be/V_rZolZcC0Y?si=GIWL7-TZ_yAnjm5q

2️⃣ Music Video: “Climate Action Strong and Bold” — an original song written and performed by participants → https://youtu.be/VxvMYoGJGB0?si=JoJgQ4mrFPZdOW6k

These videos showcase how creative, intergenerational approaches can spark new conversations about climate resilience, community, and hope.

The ‘Climate Action Strong and Bold’ song was collaboratively written, with the leadership of Will Stroet, by the participants and research team of the Unive...

09/25/2025

Join us for a timely seminar co-hosted by the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging and Providence Healthcare, featuring Dr. Mei Lan Fang (Simon Fraser University) on empowering older adults as leaders in the face of climate change.

📖 Talk Title: Building Climate Resilience with Older Adults: Insights from the COALESCE Project

Discover how the COALESCE Project is working with seniors in Metro Vancouver to co-develop strategies for coping with extreme heat, monitoring air quality, and strengthening social supports—turning climate challenges into opportunities for resilience and community leadership.

📅 Date: Wednesday, October 8, 2025
🕑 Time: 1:00 PM PT
📍 Location: Zoom

💻 Register here: https://ubc.zoom.us/meeting/register/fBLuUg-7Qe6JVvBzpq7x1g

Don’t miss this inspiring talk on reimagining Age-Friendly Cities and Communities to be more inclusive, resilient, and responsive to climate change.

09/18/2025

🎙️ Our very own ELCHA Investigator Dr. Brett Finlay is featured on the Death Clock Podcast in an episode titled “Why Your Microbiome Might Be the Key to a Longer Life.” They dig into how the microbes living in and on us shape immunity, aging, and what we can do now to support them.

➡️ Listen here:
Spotify: Death Clock — Why Your Microbiome Might Be the Key to a Longer Life Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/4TkffkrQwBRelH2cdCFvtD?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/death-clock/id1567446832

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaU26Zl33KoOxHpoW2JrKxC_7N8G40Yug

📚 And don’t forget: the Book Launch for The Microbiome Master Key is coming up on October 2, 2025, 6:30–9:00 PM PT at UBC. Spaces are limited—register here:
🔗 https://www.ticketleap.events/tickets/ubc-aging/book-launch-the-microbiome-master-key-dr-brett-finlay-and-dr-jessica-finlay