Network Core

The Network Core on Sexual Orientation and Aging Populations organizes and supports a national network of scholars who study aging in lesbian, gay, and bisexual populations. Our overarching goal is to accelerate research on the diverse life course experiences of these 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.

Our scholarship centers around 3 research themes:

• Biosocial Processes. We examine the impact of social factors and contexts that vary across sexual orientation groups as they intersect with genomic, epigenetic, and biological factors that shape mental, physical, and cognitive health trajectories in aging populations.
• Family and Social Engagement. We highlight how family, relationships, social engagement, caregiving, and living arrangements uniquely influence the experience and pace of aging among sexual orientation groups.
• Socioeconomic and Institutional Contexts. We explore 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 across sexual orientation groups.