Annual Colloquium

Gordon Dining & Event Center

770 W. Dayton St., Madison, WI 53706 | (on the corner of W. Dayton St and N. Lake, 3 blocks south of the campus end of State St.)

The first floor of Gordon is a public dining hall. The second floor is the event center, which has rooms reserved for the Colloquium.

See the event location on the UW–Madison campus map

Get directions on Google Maps

Poster Session

The Poster Session features posters on various aging-related topics dealing with psychosocial, biomedical, and clinical/applied research. Posters are presented by faculty, research scientists, postdocs, and students.

View the Call for Posters Flyer

The application for the Poster Session and/or the New Investigator Award automatically registers applicants for the IOA Annual Colloquium. Applicants’ poster abstracts undergo a review and acceptance process. The deadline to apply is Sunday, July 19, 2026.

New Investigator Awards

Awards are given to UW–Madison students or advanced trainees to recognize outstanding achievement in aging or life course studies. Winners receive a $500 award and their research is showcased in the event’s Poster Session.

Award Eligibility & Rules:

• Applicants must be UW–Madison students or advanced trainees (including all undergraduates; graduate and medical students; postgraduate trainees; and postdoctoral fellows, trainees, and research associates). Faculty/staff are not eligible for the award.
• Work must be performed within the previous two academic years.
• Work must be substantially the applicant’s own research.
• Applicants must provide a letter of recommendation from their faculty advisor/mentor.  It should:
  • include the statement “I can confirm that the work is substantially the applicant’s own” or something equivalent
  • be on letterhead with a handwritten signature.
• Applicant must be available to attend the IOA Annual Colloquium on Wednesday, October 14, 2026 in order to present their work in poster format and be available for the award presentation.
• Award selections are made by a team of IOA affiliates, based on:
  • importance/significance of the work to aging or life course studies
  • quality of the research
  • accessibility of the work to a general audience
  • strength of the letter of recommendation.
• Previous winners are not eligible to apply.

2026 Annual Colloquium Speakers & Talks

The Social Genome: How Connection Shapes Healthy Aging

Steven W. Cole, PhD, UCLA

Human social genomics reveals how social connection, stress, purpose, and culture shape gene activity in ways that influence health and aging. This work also uncovers molecular roots of resilience, offering a biologically grounded view of what it means to thrive. In a dawning era of genomic self-awareness, this research reveals a powerful message: we can actively shape our own molecular well-being, offering new opportunities to promote health, vitality, and longevity.

Bridging Alzheimer’s Disease and Autism Research

Cara Westmark, PhD, UW–Madison

This talk will explore how discoveries in Alzheimer’s disease and autism research may benefit one another. Drawing from our work and others, I will examine how changes at the synapse—the tiny communication points between brain cells—shape both age-related neurodegeneration and early life neurodevelopmental disorders. I will discuss how proteins such as amyloid beta and fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein (FMRP) influence brain function across the lifespan, and how factors like diet and nutrition may affect these pathways. By connecting Alzheimer’s and autism biology, this talk will highlight emerging evidence that may open new avenues for prevention and treatment.

Mindful Eco-Wellness: Steps towards Healthier Living for People and Planet

Bruce Barrett, MD, PhD, UW–Madison

An aspirational definition of “eco-wellness” has to do with living your life to achieve maximum health and happiness, while also supporting environmental sustainability and ecological integrity.  An “eco-wellness behavior” is any choice, habit, or other behavior that contributes to both personal health (mental and/or physical) and environmental sustainability. We are now living in a time of multi-crises, with global warming, climate change, earth’s sixth mass extinction event, and increasing societal and international discord threatening both humanity and the ecological systems in which we live. By choosing and practicing eco-wellness behaviors, we can support the health of ourselves and our planet.

Supporting Wisconsin’s Caregiving Future: Resources, Tools, and Policies that Help

Beth Fields, PhD, OTR/L, BCG, UW–Madison

Family caregiving is critical to the health and well-being of older adults, yet many caregivers struggle to find the information, services, and tools they need. In this talk, Dr. Fields will describe Wisconsin’s caregiving landscape and the challenges families commonly face. She will share her team’s work to improve caregiver identification and develop assessment tools that enable more timely and appropriate support. She will also highlight key state and national policies shaping the future of care. Together, these insights show how timely resources can strengthen caregiver well-being and improve outcomes for older adults.