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Center for Healthy Aging Research
Center for Healthy Aging Research
We help people live healthier, longer lives
Uncovering answers to health and well-being across the lifespan
The Center for Healthy Aging Research (CHAR) is a community of Oregon State University scholars who come together from across disciplines to investigate the aging process.
Established in 2005 as one of OSU’s strategic investment initiatives, the Center has coordinated and conducted collaborative, multidisciplinary studies designed to optimize the health and well-being of aging individuals and their families.
The Center has attracted many of OSU’s most innovative scientists to our membership. A major focus that drives our research is the concept of healthspan – this concept is not just about living longer, it’s about how to live better longer.
We dig deep to understand how biological, psychological, social, and physical factors affect the aging process. This leads to discovering new methods for preventing disease and helping older adults live healthy and fulfilling lives — on their own terms.
In addition to our research, we are committed to sharing resources for researchers investigating healthy aging and for the broader community seeking information to support their well-being.
LIFE Registry
Any adult age 50 or older who lives in Oregon is welcome to volunteer for the LIFE Registry to join our research studies. Your participation will help us conduct research to inform policy, create programs and develop strategies that meet the needs of older individuals, their families and society.
Research scholarship
The LIFE Scholars Summer Research Program, sponsored by The Center for Healthy Aging Research, provides an opportunity for students to work with a faculty member to develop research skills and an understanding of opportunities in science and research.
Who we are
The Center has attracted many of OSU’s most innovative scientists to our membership. A major focus that drives our research is the concept of healthspan – this concept is not just about living longer, it’s about how to live better longer.
LIFE Lines Newsletter
Winter-Spring 2025
In this issue
- Improving bone health one step at a time
- Resources and research for improving bone health
- Researching aging from an integrated perspective
- LIFE Scholar profile: Catching up with student Madi Nichols
- LIFE Scholar news: Awardees complete deep dive into aging research
- Strategic planning, new community resources & more
Past issues
Center for Healthy Aging Research stories and news
Veterans’ PTSD symptoms are affected by factors like service appraisal, social support
Oregon State study finds veterans’ personal views of combat experiences and the support they get upon returning home are stronger predictors of PTSD symptoms than the specific conflict in which they served.
Oregon State researchers and veterans’ home explore ways to enhance residents’ health with robots
Carolyn Aldwin, retired director of the Center for Healthy Aging Research in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences, is on the research team.
The caregiving conundrum: Complex challenges and an uncertain future
By 2030, 1 in 5 Americans is projected to be 65 or older, and this generation desires a more holistic approach to aging and caregiving, especially in underserved populations/communities.
Finding insight, beauty and the potential for health in day-to-day moments
From psychology to HDFS, doctoral student broadens her lens, examines health and well-being as we age
Self-perceptions of aging and stress have significant impact on physical health, OSU study finds
Researchers found that people who reported more positive self-perceptions of aging were more insulated from the physical effects of stress compared with people who felt more negatively about their own aging.
Older adults found resilience during pandemic through community, human connection, study finds
“It’s a mistake to think of older adults as just being sort of victims during COVID,” Carolyn says. “They’re a lot more resilient than we think they are.”
