Centre on Aging
Director: V. Menec, PhD

The Centre on Aging is a university-wide interdisciplinary research centre established in 1982 with a mandate to serve as a focal point for the conduct and integration of basic and applied research on aging at the university and in the province; to encourage and stimulate those peripherally involved in the area to become more intensely involved; and, to attract others into the field of aging.

The Centre has an established national and international reputation for research excellence in aging and brings together researchers from various disciplines to conduct research and to disseminate information on all aspects of aging. The experiences of aging individuals and the dynamics of an aging society are investigated using rigorous scientific standards. Taking a lifespan persepctive, Centre Research Affiliates are studying people’s beliefs and behaviours in a variety of areas to increase knowledge, undertaking evaluation research for use by government and other organizations to assess their programs and policies, and exploring factors that contribute to the health and quality of life that enhance independence in later life. Community representatives contribute to all projects and serve on various committees.

The Centre is well-known for its highly successful outreach activities such as: the annual Spring Research Symposium, public lectures, and newsletter; academic presentations and publications; annual Research Forum/Graduate Student Research Day to discuss current research issues, identify colleagues with similar interests, provide students with an opportunity to present their research in conference poster format and get feedback; research findings broadly distributed to policy makers, practitioners, and seniors; and, strong linkages with various government departments and community organizations.

Although the Centre on Aging is not a teaching unit, gerontological education is, and always has been, an important component of the Centre. The Centre on Aging coordinates the Graduate Specialization in Aging, which allows graduate students from any discipline to concentrate their studies in aging; graduate students are involved in many of the research projects at the Centre; and a graduate student e-mail list provides information to students regarding seminars, funding, calls for papers, conferences, and employment opportunities. Each year the Centre on Aging awards three scholarships to students pursuing studies in aging at the University of Manitoba: the Centre on Aging Betty Havens Memorial Graduate Fellowship, the Jack MacDonell Scholarship for Research in Aging, and the Esther and Samuel Milmot Scholarship. In addition, the Centre also adjudicates the Alzheimer Society of Manitoba Graduate Fellowships.