The SWEAH PhD Aber Sharon Kagwa, a second year PhD. student at the Division of Nursing, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society (NVS), Karolinska Institute, is one of them.

- Participating in SPA 2023 in Canada will be the perfect pathway to enhance my Ph.D. studies by enabling me to further expand my knowledge in aging and health within a multidisciplinary and global context. The summer school will also provide me with great opportunities to network and exchange knowledge with academic mentors, other Ph.D. students, and postdocs with research interests in longer-living older adults. I am also looking forward to deepening my knowledge in academic writing, different aging theories, and methodologies that will advance my Ph.D. studies and my future career in research. 

Sharon Kagwa´s project is called “Use of mHealth in supporting family caregivers to persons with dementia”. Since January 2023, she is affiliated to SWEAH.

Her academic background includes a BSc in Nursing from Karolinska institute, an MSc in Nursing with a specialization in Older People Nursing from Karolinska Institute as well as an MSc in Marketing from Stockholm Business School at Stockholm University.

- Throughout my academic history and work experience, I have developed a strong interest in aging in the context of dementia care, healthy aging, digital health, and global health. Clinically, I have worked in elderly care, mostly with people with dementia in both acute- and community care, she says.

Rebecca Baxter is a Postdoctoral Fellow working at the Center for Collaborative Palliative Care at Linnaeus University. Her doctoral research explored the meanings, expressions, measurements, and associations of thriving for older people living in nursing homes.

- My postdoctoral research focuses on a conversation intervention that asks seriously ill patients about their values, goals and preferences. My research emphasises that care should not only endeavour to avoid negative outcomes, but should actively emphasise and prioritise positive experiences – especially for older adults. My hope is that this research paves the way for future exploration of positive life-world concepts across the lifespan to better support health-promoting and person-centred care for the growing aging population.

For her the summer program in aging presents a unique opportunity for early career researchers to learn from leaders in the field and gain a better understanding of the issues and challenges faced by the aging population worldwide.

- The program's focus on the experiences, needs, and challenges faced by older adults aligns with my research interests and career goals. It is also a great opportunity to go to Nova Scotia and experience a Canadian summer!

- I expect that participating in this program will provide valuable insight into best practices and emerging trends in the field of aging. By participating in the summer school, I hope to connect with other aging researchers and build a network of inspiring multidisciplinary collaborators.

Mahwish Naseer is a postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Physiotherapy, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet. She has been associated with SWEAH during her PhD and is now a postdoctoral fellow at SWEAH. Her educational background is in public health. She defended her PhD thesis in medicine at the Karolinska Institutet.  

Why did you apply for the Summer school?

- The topic of the Summer School is in line with my research experience and my current research project. My postdoctoral project focuses on care coordination after discharge from geriatric inpatient care. The needs of older adults are often complex due to their health status and living conditions. As a result, older adults with serious health problems are likely to need support from social and health professionals. My PhD project focused on the factors associated with the use of emergency care and concluded that a multidisciplinary approach is needed to address the needs of older adults. Participating in SPA2023 will deepen my knowledge of interdisciplinary approaches in ageing research, methodological challenges in ageing research, e.g. involving frail older and mostly older adults, representativeness of social groups and ethical issues.

What do you expect from the programme?

- I believe that participation in SPA2023 will benefit me in developing international research contacts, in exploring what types of data sources are available at international level and will improve my understanding of policy implications on social and health care of older adults in general and in pandemic.

Their participation in summer program on Longer-living older adults (SPA 2023) is funded by Forte.