As we continue to lead longer and healthier lives, there is an unprecedented opportunity to benefit from the accumulated insights and experiences of older adults — but we must ensure that the world makes the most of this opportunity and that we all have the supports we need to enable meaningful lives as we age.

Who We Are

GSA is the oldest and largest interdisciplinary organization devoted to research, education, and practice in the field of aging. GSA’s principal mission — and that of our 5,500 members — is to promote the study of aging and disseminate information to scientists, decision makers, and the general public.

Founded in 1945, GSA is the driving force behind advancing innovation in aging — both domestically and internationally. Our members come from more than 50 countries.

What We Do

We foster interdisciplinary collaboration among behavioral and social scientists, physicians, nurses, biologists, psychologists, social workers, educators, economists, policy experts, practice leaders, those who study the humanities and the arts, and many other scholars and researchers in aging. We believe the intersection of research from diverse areas is the best way to foster ingenuity, achieve the greatest impact, and promote optimal experiences of aging.

To further fulfill our mission, GSA assembles 4,000 professionals from around the world to an Annual Scientific Meeting. This monumental event now features more than 500 sessions each year. Additionally, we publish the field’s preeminent peer-reviewed journals.

Through networking and mentorship opportunities, we provide a professional “home” for career gerontologists and students at all levels. We know these individuals are our legacy and it is crucial we support those who follow in our footsteps.

What is Gerontology?

Gerontology is the study of aging processes and individuals across the life course. It includes:

  • The study of physical, mental, and social changes in people as they age;
  • The investigation of changes in society resulting from our aging population; and
  • The application of this knowledge to policies and programs.

Gerontology is multidisciplinary in that it combines or integrates several separate areas of study. GSA fosters interdisciplinary collaboration between physicians, nurses, biologists, behavioral and social scientists, psychologists, social workers, economists, policy experts, those who study the humanities and the arts, and many other scholars and researchers in aging. Geriatrics, the branch of medical science concerned with the prevention and treatment of diseases in older people, is a part of the broader field of gerontology.

As a result of the multidisciplinary focus of gerontology, professionals from diverse fields call themselves gerontologists. Gerontologists improve the quality of life and promote the well-being of people as they age through research, education, practice, and the application of interdisciplinary knowledge of the aging process and aging populations.

To learn more about gerontology's origins, read the opening article from Volume 1, Issue 1 of the Journal of Gerontology from 1946.