Please join me in congratulating the leadership of the Irsay Institute—Brea Perry, Bernice Pescosolido, and Kosali Simon—on their recent accomplishments that advance innovative research at the intersection of health and social sciences and improve people’s lives.
Associate Director Brea Perry, professor of sociology, is principal investigator on the Social Networks and Alzheimer’s Disease (SNAD) study that uncovers how the social lives of older adults shape their brain health and risk for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. The nearly ten-year-old study, funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), was recently renewed and received one of NIH’s most prestigious recognitions—a MERIT Award (Method to Extend Research in Time). The award—the only one currently on our campus—provides extended, stable funding to investigators with a demonstrated record of exceptional productivity and scientific impact.
Director Bernice Pescosolido, distinguished professor of sociology, was appointed to the Committee on Women in Science, Engineering, and Medicine at the National Academy of Sciences, which serves as an institutional focal point for the National Academies on issues related to equal opportunities for women in science, engineering, and medicine. The committee convenes national and international experts across government, academia, and industry to discuss topics ranging from addressing sexual harassment to supporting family caregivers in STEM to navigating careers in the tech workforce.
Associate Director Kosali Simon, a healthcare economist, Herman B Wells Endowed Professor, and Distinguished Professor was named director of the Program on the Economics of Aging at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Her new role includes advancing the program’s mission of using tools from economics to analyze financial, health, and other outcomes in our aging society. She was also recently appointed as senior editor of RESTAT (Review of Economics and Statistics), one of the most prestigious scientific journals in the field.
Congratulations to Professors Perry, Pescosolido, and Simon!