S. Jay Olshansky
Encyclopedia
Stuart Jay Olshansky is currently a Professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Illinois at Chicago
and a Research Associate at the Center on Aging at the University of Chicago and at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
in Sociology at the University of Chicago
in 1984.
The focus of his research to date has been on estimates of the upper limits to human longevity
, exploring the health and public policy implications associated with individual and population aging, forecasts of the size, survival, and age structure of the population, pursuit of the scientific means to slow aging in people (The Longevity Dividend), and global implications of the re-emergence of infectious and parasitic diseases, and insurance linked securities.
During the last 25 years, Dr. Olshansky has been working with colleagues in the biological sciences to develop the modern "biodemographic paradigm" of mortality – an effort to understand the biological nature of the survival and dying out processes of living organisms.
Dr. Olshansky's work on biodemography
has been funded by a Special Emphasis Research Career Award (SERCA) and Independent Scientist Award (ISA) from the National Institute on Aging
– awards that were designed to permit him to obtain additional graduate-level training in the fields of evolutionary biology, molecular biology
, genetics
, epidemiology
, population biology, anthropology
and statistics
.
Dr. Olshansky is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Gerontology: Biological Sciences and Biogerontology, he is on the editorial board of several other scientific journals, and is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
, the New York Academy of Sciences
, and the Gerontological Society of America. Dr. Olshansky is also listed in Who's Who in Science and Engineering, Who's Who in American Education, Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare, American Men and Women of Science
, and Who's Who in America.
He was an invited speaker at the December, 2002 President's Council on Bioethics, Fortune Magazine's 2004 Brainstorm meeting, the 2004 Nobel Conference devoted to the science of aging, the Institute of Medicine—2004, the 2005 UNESCO
conference on Health and Longevity in Paris, the 2007 United Nations
conference on Health and Aging, the 2007 World Ageing and Generations conference in Switzerland, the 2007 Global Financial Services CEO Roundtable in Italy, the 2009 Horizon21 symposium on Insurance Linked Securities, the 2010 Insurance-Linked Securities Summit in New York, the 2010 Techonomy conference in Lake Tahoe, and he has testified before the trustees of the Social Security Administration where his research has influenced forecasts of the nation's entitlement programs.
Dr. Olshansky is the recipient of a 2005/2006 Senior Fulbright Award
to lecture in France; he is an adviser to U.S. Preventive Medicine; he is a founding member of the HSBC
Global Commission on Ageing and Retirement; he is a member of the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on an Aging Society; he is a member of the Council on an Ageing Society at the World Economic Forum
; he advised the Pension Advisory Group at JPMorgan; he is on the Program Advisory Group and Senior Associate at the International Longevity Center
(US); he has been invited to lecture on aging throughout the world; and has participated in a number of international debates on the future of human health and longevity
.
Dr. Olshansky is the first author of The Quest for Immortality: Science at the Frontiers of Aging (Norton, 2001), and he can be seen discussing aging, longevity and centenarians in the new permanent exhibit entitled "You The Experience" at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.
University of Illinois at Chicago
The University of Illinois at Chicago, or UIC, is a state-funded public research university located in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its campus is in the Near West Side community area, near the Chicago Loop...
and a Research Associate at the Center on Aging at the University of Chicago and at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
Biography
He received his Ph.D.Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in Sociology at the University of Chicago
University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...
in 1984.
The focus of his research to date has been on estimates of the upper limits to human longevity
Longevity
The word "longevity" is sometimes used as a synonym for "life expectancy" in demography or known as "long life", especially when it concerns someone or something lasting longer than expected ....
, exploring the health and public policy implications associated with individual and population aging, forecasts of the size, survival, and age structure of the population, pursuit of the scientific means to slow aging in people (The Longevity Dividend), and global implications of the re-emergence of infectious and parasitic diseases, and insurance linked securities.
During the last 25 years, Dr. Olshansky has been working with colleagues in the biological sciences to develop the modern "biodemographic paradigm" of mortality – an effort to understand the biological nature of the survival and dying out processes of living organisms.
Dr. Olshansky's work on biodemography
Biodemography
Biodemography is the science dealing with the integration of biology and demography.Biodemography is a new branch of human demography concerned with understanding the complementary biological and demographic determinants of and interactions between the birth and death processes that shape...
has been funded by a Special Emphasis Research Career Award (SERCA) and Independent Scientist Award (ISA) from the National Institute on Aging
National Institute on Aging
The National Institute on Aging ' is a division of the U.S. National Institutes of Health , located in Baltimore, Maryland.The NIA leads a broad scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life...
– awards that were designed to permit him to obtain additional graduate-level training in the fields of evolutionary biology, molecular biology
Molecular biology
Molecular biology is the branch of biology that deals with the molecular basis of biological activity. This field overlaps with other areas of biology and chemistry, particularly genetics and biochemistry...
, genetics
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
, epidemiology
Epidemiology
Epidemiology is the study of health-event, health-characteristic, or health-determinant patterns in a population. It is the cornerstone method of public health research, and helps inform policy decisions and evidence-based medicine by identifying risk factors for disease and targets for preventive...
, population biology, anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
and statistics
Statistics
Statistics is the study of the collection, organization, analysis, and interpretation of data. It deals with all aspects of this, including the planning of data collection in terms of the design of surveys and experiments....
.
Dr. Olshansky is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Gerontology: Biological Sciences and Biogerontology, he is on the editorial board of several other scientific journals, and is a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
, the New York Academy of Sciences
New York Academy of Sciences
The New York Academy of Sciences is the third oldest scientific society in the United States. An independent, non-profit organization with more than members in 140 countries, the Academy’s mission is to advance understanding of science and technology...
, and the Gerontological Society of America. Dr. Olshansky is also listed in Who's Who in Science and Engineering, Who's Who in American Education, Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare, American Men and Women of Science
American Men and Women of Science
American Men and Women of Science is a biographical reference on leading scientists in the United States and Canada published as a series of books and online by Gale, a unit of Cengage Learning. Gale acquired the title from Information Today, Inc. in 2001....
, and Who's Who in America.
He was an invited speaker at the December, 2002 President's Council on Bioethics, Fortune Magazine's 2004 Brainstorm meeting, the 2004 Nobel Conference devoted to the science of aging, the Institute of Medicine—2004, the 2005 UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
conference on Health and Longevity in Paris, the 2007 United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
conference on Health and Aging, the 2007 World Ageing and Generations conference in Switzerland, the 2007 Global Financial Services CEO Roundtable in Italy, the 2009 Horizon21 symposium on Insurance Linked Securities, the 2010 Insurance-Linked Securities Summit in New York, the 2010 Techonomy conference in Lake Tahoe, and he has testified before the trustees of the Social Security Administration where his research has influenced forecasts of the nation's entitlement programs.
Dr. Olshansky is the recipient of a 2005/2006 Senior Fulbright Award
Fulbright Award
The Fulbright Award is a scholarship awarded as part of the Fulbright Program to foster international research and collaboration. The program also awards a fellowship to Ph.D.'s to lecture and teach in foreign universities...
to lecture in France; he is an adviser to U.S. Preventive Medicine; he is a founding member of the HSBC
HSBC
HSBC Holdings plc is a global banking and financial services company headquartered in Canary Wharf, London, United Kingdom. it is the world's second-largest banking and financial services group and second-largest public company according to a composite measure by Forbes magazine...
Global Commission on Ageing and Retirement; he is a member of the MacArthur Foundation Research Network on an Aging Society; he is a member of the Council on an Ageing Society at the World Economic Forum
World Economic Forum
The World Economic Forum is a Swiss non-profit foundation, based in Cologny, Geneva, best known for its annual meeting in Davos, a mountain resort in Graubünden, in the eastern Alps region of Switzerland....
; he advised the Pension Advisory Group at JPMorgan; he is on the Program Advisory Group and Senior Associate at the International Longevity Center
International Longevity Center
Organized in 1990 by Robert N. Butler, M.D., Professor of Geriatrics at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, The International Longevity Center-USA is a not-for-profit, nonpartisan research, policy and education organization whose mission is to help societies address the issues of population aging and...
(US); he has been invited to lecture on aging throughout the world; and has participated in a number of international debates on the future of human health and longevity
Longevity
The word "longevity" is sometimes used as a synonym for "life expectancy" in demography or known as "long life", especially when it concerns someone or something lasting longer than expected ....
.
Dr. Olshansky is the first author of The Quest for Immortality: Science at the Frontiers of Aging (Norton, 2001), and he can be seen discussing aging, longevity and centenarians in the new permanent exhibit entitled "You The Experience" at the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago.
External links
- Main Homepage for Olshansky
- University of Illinois at Chicago Official Website
- University of Illinois at Chicago School of Public Health Department
- Google Books results of works authored by Olshansky
Articles
- 'Don't fall for the cult of immortality' - Article by Olshansky
- 'In Pursuit of the Longevity Dividend: What Should We Be Doing To Prepare for the Unprecedented Aging of Humanity?' - Article co-authored by Olshansky that appeared in The ScientistThe ScientistThe Scientist: Magazine of Life Sciences is a professional magazine intended for life scientists. Coverage includes reviews of widely noticed research papers, informing its audience of current research, updates to technology, updates to career information, profiles of scientists achieving...
- http://web.mac.com/sjayo/SJayOlshansky/Manuscripts.html - access to most of Dr. Olshansky's scientific articles