CLSA Competition Winner: Allison A Bielak

Title: It's never too late to engage in lifestyle activities for successful cognitive aging
Research Institution: Australian National University (Canberra)
Supervisor: ANSTEY, Kaarin J

Dr. Bielak finished her Doctoral studies in Psychology, specializing in Lifespan Development, at the University of Victoria in the summer of 2008. While there, she worked on research projects investigating both normal and abnormal cognitive changes that occur with older age, using data from the Victoria Longitudinal Study and Project MIND. She is now, in winter 2009, a postdoctoral research fellow at the Australian National University working on an innovative project called Dynamic Analyses to Optimize Ageing (DYNOPTA) that combines nine Australian longitudinal studies of aging.

Dr. Bielak is investigating the impact of cognitive, social, and physical activity participation on cognition in older adulthood. The learning opportunities offered by DYNOPTA regarding longitudinal methodology, design, and advanced statistical analyses are unparalleled. She intends to return to Canada upon completion of her training and pursue a career in academia. The skills and knowledge she is acquiring in Australia can be applied to Canadian studies such as the CLSA in the future.