Jeffrey Wing

In Conversation with...

Dr. Jeffrey Wing

CAF affiliate, CAF Internal Executive Committee member, and OSU faculty member

We spoke with Dr. Wing about his research on geographic and social influences on neurological health, healthy aging, and health disparities, as well as the role these factors play in supporting older adults and their families.

Describe your primary research interests in a few sentences.

My research focuses on understanding how social, environmental, and geographic factors shape neurologic health across the life course, with particular emphasis on stroke, Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (ADRD), and healthy aging. I study how place-based factors such as rurality, access to care, structural inequities, and community resources influence disease prevalence, recovery, and quality of life. A central goal of my work is to identify modifiable factors that can reduce health disparities and improve outcomes for older adults and their families.

The Center for Aging Families aims to advance research on: (1) the changing demography of aging families, (2) aging family health, and (3) health disparities in family aging. Which theme or themes best capture your aging families research, and how does your work fit within them?

My work aligns most directly with aging family health and health disparities in family aging. Much of my research examines how geographic context, access to healthcare services, and structural inequities influence the burden of stroke and ADRD among older adults. These conditions affect not only individuals but also family members who provide care, support health management, and navigate access to services. I am particularly interested in how disparities in community resources, broadband access, healthcare availability, and historical patterns of discrimination shape the experiences of aging individuals and their families, especially in underserved rural and Appalachian communities.

Tell us about an ongoing project on aging families you are excited about.

I am particularly excited about my ongoing work examining geographic variation in Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias in Central Appalachia. This line of research explores how access to healthcare, broadband availability, and regional characteristics influence ADRD diagnosis and prevalence estimates. Understanding where dementia is underdiagnosed and which communities face barriers to care can help improve access to services for older adults and provide better support for families who often play a central role in recognizing symptoms, seeking care, and managing long-term needs.

Are you engaged in any collaborative research on aging families? If so, briefly describe the project and share what you see as the greatest benefits of collaboration.

Yes. I collaborate with investigators across epidemiology, neurology, public health, sociology, rehabilitation science, and community-engaged research. One example is my work with colleagues at Ohio State and the University of Michigan studying ADRD prevalence, access to care, and geographic disparities in Central Appalachia. I also collaborate on projects examining stroke recovery, social networks, and community resources that influence long-term outcomes among older adults. Collaboration brings together complementary expertise, perspectives, and data sources, enabling us to address complex questions that no single discipline could answer alone and increasing the likelihood that findings can be translated into meaningful public health impact.

How do you see the field of aging family research evolving over the next decade?

Over the next decade, I expect aging family research to place greater emphasis on the interaction between health, place, and social context. As the population ages and dementia prevalence continues to increase, there will be growing attention to how families adapt to caregiving demands, particularly in rural, underserved, and socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. Advances in linked administrative data, spatial analytics, telehealth, and digital health technologies will provide new opportunities to understand how family, community, and healthcare systems together influence aging trajectories. I also anticipate a stronger focus on addressing structural inequities and identifying policies and interventions that support both older adults and the family members who care for them.