The USF Collaborative on Aging works to enhance USF’s capacity and reputation as a university with campus-wide strength in aging research, education, and service. The Collaborative maintains directories of faculty members and programs focused on aging throughout the USF campus, sponsors a Distinguished Lecture Series, and works to promote multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary research and education.
Academic Affairs, USF
One of three research departments of the Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute at USF, the Department’s mission is to conduct research, program evaluation, training, education and consultation which addresses the immediate and longer term mental health and support system needs of older adults in Florida and nationally.
The School of Aging Studies, which hosts the USF Collaborative on Aging, offers bachelors and masters degrees in gerontology, and four graduate certificate programs in aging, which serve more than 3,000 students each year. The School is also the academic home to the PhD Program in Aging Studies, which trains doctoral students in areas ranging from basic science, social/behavioral science, and clinical research, to public policy analysis. The School of Aging Studies is also home to the Florida Center for Creative Aging, the Florida Policy Exchange Center on Aging, and the Training Academy on Aging.
FCCA is affiliated with the Florida Policy Exchange Center on Aging is dedicated to fostering an understanding of the vital relationship between creative expression and healthy aging. The Center develops programs and provides technical assistance to ensure that the arts are accessible to people in all stages of life.
FPECA is a multi-university consortium at the School of Aging Studies at USF, dedicated to discovering, organizing, and disseminating information about policies and programs for the elderly in Florida, the United States and other countries.
The Training Academy on Aging coordinates the University’s approach to providing high quality, affordable and accessible training to public and private organizations serving elders in the Tampa Bay region. The Academy’s mission is to develop and provide professional training to those involved in long-term care, housing, case management, and caregiving for Florida’s elder population.
Senior programs, part of USF Continuing Education, provides non-credit continuing education opportunities in the Tampa Bay area for older adults, including hands-on computer training through the SeniorNet program, and programs in the liberal arts through Learning in Retirement.
- Distinguished Master Artist Series
Distinguished Master Artist Series is a University-wide program, bringing celebrated artists age 65 and older in art, music, theatre, and dance to the University of South Florida
Lakeland Campus, USF
This innovative center is the vision of Mr. Alfred Rath and the Coalition on Aging Think Tank (CATT), a “grassroots” organization which first proposed a need for coordinated aging services in 1998. With the support of the University of South Florida Lakeland under the direction of Vice President Dr. Preston Mercer, Associate Vice President Dr. Alice Murray and Dr. Rosemarie Lamm, CATT established goals including acquisition of a grant funding to study the senior population in Polk County, promote education for family caregivers, and development of a center to provide education, information and other services for seniors.
Health Sciences Center, USF
The Center’s researchers conduct and apply cutting-edge basic science and clinical research to improve the care of patients with stroke, Parkinson’s disease and other movement disorders, Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, and other neurodegenerative diseases associated with an aging population.
New Masters in Science Program Available
This research center focuses on the health issues of individuals near the end of life and their families and caregivers. The Center is a community-academic partnership of USF; LifePath Hospice and Palliative Care, Inc.; The Hospice of the Florida Suncoast; the Hospice of Southwest Florida; Hope Hospice and Palliative Care; and the H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute. Center members generate new knowledge through interdisciplinary research, use that knowledge to educate health and human services professionals and students, and advocate for public policy that supports quality end-of-life care.
The Center for Hospice, Palliative Care and End-of-Life Studies is an interdisciplinary research center with a mission to advance end-of-life research, education, policy and practice. Membership in the Center is open to anyone with interest in end-of-life research or clinical practice. Meetings are generally scheduled on the 4 th Tuesday of each month, with research presentations alternating with more informal networking meetings. Please contact Nancy Hallford, Center Administrative Assistant (nhallfor@cas.usf.edu) for more information on Center membership and to be included on the Center’s mailing list.
The Division of Geriatric Medicine provides primary health care and consultation for older people in ambulatory and long-term care settings, evaluates and manages patients with memory disorders, and provides palliative care for those with life-limiting illnesses in collaboration with LifePath Hospice and Palliative Care, Inc. The Division also trains medical students in an intensive “Geriatrics Week” program at the beginning of their clerkship year, and has an active fellowship program currently enrolling 4 fellows per year.
The USF Memory Disorder Clinic is part of a statewide network of thirteen Memory Disorder Clinics that provide comprehensive assessments, diagnostic services and treatment to individuals who exhibit symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease and related memory disorders. The Memory Disorder Clinic develops training programs and materials for caregivers, respite service providers, and health care professionals involved in the care of persons with Alzheimer’s disease or related memory disorders. The clinic also conducts applied research that is service-related and selected in conjunction with the Florida Department of Elder Affairs (DOEA).
The Suncoast Gerontology Center was established in 1980 within USF’s College of Medicine, and has been at the forefront of improving the quality of life for persons affected by Alzheimer’s disease and geriatric depression. The Center conducts research and clinical work, as well as providing family caregiver training and support. The Center also leads a federally funded Geriatric Education Center, which trains physicians, nurses, managed care providers and long-term care staff on Alzheimer’s disease.
H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute
The Moffitt Cancer Center is a National Cancer Institute designated comprehensive cancer center, and has strong programs in geriatrics and gerontology.
The Aging and Cancer Pilot Research Grant Program, funded by the National Cancer Institute and the National Institute of Aging, annually awards pilot grant funding to faculty with research interests in aging and cancer.
The Senior Adult Oncology Program at Moffitt Cancer Center seeks to prevent and treat cancer in people over age 70 while improving their quality of life. A cornerstone of the program is a comprehensive geriatric assessment that helps team members identify and address problem areas related to cancer, as well as other issues directly related to aging, such as improving functional ability, managing multiple medications, and taking into account concomitant diseases, social support, and family/caregiver concerns.
James A. Haley VA Medical Center
One of the largest medical centers for veterans in the country, the James A. Haley VA Medical Center adjacent to the USF campus includes a Memory Disorders Clinic, Nursing Home, and in-patient hospice unit. The VA also sponsors the Patient Safety Center, which conducts research on patient safety issues in older adults.
The mission of the Center is to support clinicians in providing safe patient care by designing and testing clinical innovations, technological solutions, and patient safety improvement systems. The Center’s research efforts target two patient populations with compromised mobility: frail elderly and persons with disabilities
Johnnie B. Byrd Sr. Alzheimer's Center and Research Institute
The Center is dedicated to coordinating the tremendous research expertise, experience, and creative vision of laboratories all over Florida, and extending this critical work by building national and international collaborations to study prevention, early diagnosis, treatment and cure of Alzheimer’s disease.
State of Florida and Local Links
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