FulBright scholar, Ross Andel, visited the Centre for Transformative Work Design (CTWD) this week.
Ross Andel is Professor in the School of Aging Studies and Director of Ph.D. in Aging Studies program. He is a Senior Researcher in the International Clinical Research Center at the St. Anne’s University Hospital in Brno, Czech Republic, and Professor in the 2nd Medical Faculty at Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic.
Using relevant data from the United States, Puerto Rico, Sweden, and Australia, Ross delivered a presentation that took a closer look at how retirement may affect trajectories of cognitive change and risk of cognitive impairment, how work characteristics may further modify post-retirement cognitive outcomes, and what factors may play a role in mitigating the potentially negative influence of retirement on cognitive aging and cognitive impairment.
CTWD's Research Fellow, MK. Ward said Ross presented compelling evidence that the complexity of work done in mid-life can delay onset of cognitive decline. Data suggest cognitive functioning declines after retirement. A key takeaway is that designing work that challenges people through novelty and complexity may be a critical influence on brain health.
Ross also met with several members of the team to discuss collaboration in the future around how work affects cognitive health (Research stream 2).