This past October, CU Anschutz’s Multidisciplinary Center on Aging (MCoA) hosted its first ever Geriatrics & Aging Research Symposium. It was a tremendous success, selling out in just two weeks! The objective of the symposium was to introduce Colorado’s statewide community to research in aging happening at CU’s Denver and Anschutz campuses. It connected participants with some of the leading researchers to dialogue and share information, and they were able to engage in actual research through Research Roadshow experiences.

The all-day event featured researcher presentations, virtual dementia tours, research roadshows, and a tour of the IMAGE Lab (the site for many exercise-related clinical trials). There were three rounds of lighting presentations and two key-note presentations - “Successful vs. Usual Aging: The Importance of Research in Defining the Goal” by Dr. Wendy Kohrt and “Firearm Safety in Aging....Why is Research Important?” by Dr. Emmy Betz. A lunchtime discussion was led by one of MCoA’s Older Adult Research Specialists.

The symposium’s major funder was CU Denver’s Grand Challenge grant. Specifically, the Advancing Research and Innovation for Aging and Disability (ARIAD) team led by Dr. Cathy Bodine, who also spoke during the symposium’s opening remarks. The event was also funded by CU Anschutz’s Division of Geriatrics Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Research Network grants.

This symposium was the first of its kind, and hopefully, will become an annual event. For more information about the Multidisciplinary Center on Aging and to learn how to support their research, visit their website at https://medschool.cuanschutz.edu/center-on-aging.