For more than a quarter century, UCLA and its affiliated institutions have developed new initiatives in geriatrics and gerontological research to advance knowledge of the aging process and population.

The research interests of UCLA faculty span the basic, clinical, social, and behavioral sciences.

Research conducted by MPGMG faculty focuses upon the clinical epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases of older persons; health services delivery; the physiology of age-related changes; and the basic cellular and molecular biology of aging.

Our efforts within UCLA include exciting translational research efforts that bring what is learned at the research bench to the bedside. The advances brought forth by our researchers aims to improve the lifelong process of aging.

Teresa Seeman, Ph.D.

headshot of Teresa Seeman in a pink shirt

Director, Generation Xchange Program

Distinguished Professor of Medicine & Epidemiology

Dr. Teresa Seeman is a Professor of Medicine & Epidemiology at UCLA. Trained as a social epidemiologist, she also completed post-doctoral training in neuroendocrinology. Working in both community- and laboratory-based contexts, her interdisciplinary research has focused on understanding the health effects of social contexts (e.g., socio-economic status, social relationships) and psychological characteristics (e.g., control beliefs, perceptions of self-efficacy), including effects on risks for physical and cognitive decline as well as overall longevity. In collaboration with Bruce McEwen Dr. Seeman led development of a program of research on the concept of allostatic load which takes a multi-systems view of biological aging. Beginning with work testing the construct validity of allostatic load (Seeman et al, 1997; 2001; Karlamangla et al, 2002), Dr. Seeman has undertaken a program of research documenting links between indices of allostatic load to subsequent health risks, Working in collaboration with colleagues at UCLA, including Drs. Karlamangla and Hu, and elsewhere in the US and abroad, Dr. Seeman and colleagues have also shown that levels of allostatic load in both older and more middle-aged cohorts are predicted by social factors, including levels of social integration and support as well as more traditional measures of socio-economic status (Seeman et al, 2002).

More recently, Dr. Seeman has also focused on the development and evaluation of inter-generational interventions that can simultaneously promote health and psychosocial benefits for older adults and the younger generations they engage with through the intervention programs. This work began with a collaboration with Dr. Linda Fried to implement the first randomized trial of the Experience Corps model where older adults were trained to work as tutors and mentors for elementary school children. That trial provided some of the first evidence that such volunteer opportunities can have positive health impacts for older adults. Since 2014, Dr. Seeman has been implementing and testing further adaptations to that model as part of her Generation Xchange program in Los Angeles Unified School District elementary schools. To date, evidence points to academic and behavioral benefits for the children and health benefits for the older adults.