The Aging and Development Program trains psychologists at both the predoctoral and postdoctoral levels for careers in research and teaching.  We began to develop a major focus on aging in 1957, which made Washington University's Aging and Development Program one of the first in the country to offer specialization in research addressing the later years of life.  This training program has enjoyed continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health since its inception. 

The cognitive changes that accompany the normal aging process as well as pathological conditions such as dementia of the Alzheimer's type are a major focus of faculty research on aging. Other areas of focus are emotion and emotion regulation across the adult lifespan, personality and well-being in aging, and clinically relevant topics such as health promotion and speech/hearing.

Another focus of the Aging and Development Program is on social-cognitive development in children. Topics addressed include development of thinking about social categories.

The Aging and Development program can be a student’s primary affiliation, and can also integrate with the other areas of specialization in the department.

For information on the NIH (T32) Graduate and Postdoctoral Training Grant Program in Aging please click the link.