Network Core

The CAPS Network Core organizes and supports a national network of scholars who study aging in sexual minority populations. Our overarching goal is to accelerate research on the diverse life course experiences of sexual minority populations, and the pathways by which their experiences culminate in advantage and disadvantage at older ages. We achieve this through talks and conferences, data sharing, and pilot project funding.

CAPS’s three research themes:

• Biosocial Processes. Network Core activities will examine the impact of social factors and contexts distinct to SM populations as they intersect with genomic, epigenetic, and biological factors that shape mental, physical, and cognitive health trajectories in aging SM populations.
• Family and Social Engagement. Network Core activities will examine how family, relationships, social engagement, caregiving, and living arrangements uniquely influence the experience and pace of aging among SM populations.
• Socioeconomic and Institutional Contexts. Network Core activities will examine how socioeconomic and institutional contexts (e.g., schools, neighborhoods, workplaces, geopolitical contexts) throughout life confer unique risks or advantages for the health and well-being of aging SM populations.