Together, for better aging

Since 1982, the Research Center of the Montreal Geriatric University Institute (CRIUGM) has been developing innovative solutions to preserve functional abilities and promote active, inclusive, and fulfilling aging.

In 2023, the CRIUGM led a participatory process to redefine its mission, vision, and values. Researchers, students, research staff, and institutional and community partners contributed to this consultation, which helped refine priorities and guide research directions.

This reflection confirmed the CRIUGM’s commitment to adopting a holistic perspective on aging, i.e., a comprehensive approach—body, brain, and environment—and to designing concrete solutions to meet the growing needs of older adults.

With this in mind, the CRIUGM is mobilizing its interdisciplinary research to improve care practices, support caregivers, and inform public policy.

The CRIUGM’s Mission

To better understand the aging process from a holistic perspective of the interactions between the body, brain, and environment, and to develop innovative solutions that promote the health and well-being of older adults.

The CRIUGM’s Strategic Objectives

1. To advance fundamental and clinical scientific knowledge about the brain and aging.
2. To better identify the factors that influence the trajectories of aging and the experience of older adults.
3. To develop, evaluate, and implement integrative and personalized interventions with a view to sustainable health.
4. To accelerate research in digital health and data science and engineering.
5. Promote social innovation by developing and maintaining research ecosystems based on participatory approaches.

The CRIUGM’s Vision

To be a vehicle for change aimed at the fulfillment of older adults through its research and the development of knowledge based on an integrative approach to sustainable health.

The CRIUGM’s major research themes

Theme 1 – Neuroscience of Aging explores the fundamental and clinical mechanisms of brain aging, whether normal or pathological. Through multidisciplinary approaches and cutting-edge technologies, CRIUGM researchers are working to better understand the biological and cognitive processes of aging in order to develop innovative solutions.

Theme 2 – Aging Trajectories focuses on the health trajectories of older adults, examining the factors that influence their life transitions, autonomy, and quality of life. CRIUGM researchers aim to identify the biological, social, and environmental determinants of aging trajectories in order to anticipate needs.

Theme 3 – Interventions and Sustainable Health is dedicated to the development, evaluation, and implementation of innovative interventions that support the sustainable health of older adults. This approach takes into account the physical, cognitive, mental, and social dimensions of aging, with the goal of promoting solutions that foster.

Theme 4 – Digital Health, which cuts across all of the center’s research areas, relies on digital technologies and big data to revolutionize research and care practices. This theme aims to integrate advanced digital tools, interoperable data infrastructures, and innovative methodologies to improve.

Theme 5 – Social Innovation, also cutting across all areas of CRIUGM research, focuses on social innovation to address the challenges of aging. This theme promotes a participatory approach that involves seniors, their loved ones, and community partners in order to co-create solutions that improve their quality of life and strengthen.

Learn more about CRIUGM’s themes

Research chairs at CRIUGM

Several CRIUGM researchers hold nationally recognized research chairs, some of which also have international reach, enabling them to develop cutting-edge scientific programs in key areas such as:

• Cognitive health and the prevention of neurodegenerative disorders
• Care for older adults and their loved ones
• Brain and biomedical imaging
• Physical activity and the care pathway for seniors
• Intergenerational social and economic innovation

See the complete list of CRIUGM chairs here