Publications
The Center for Optimal Aging has various faculty working on different research. The research done by members has been published in a wide range of journals. The publications are listed in the subpages.
NEWLY LAUNCHED PUBLICATION
Equitable speech technologies for older adults: a call to prioritize low-resource languages
Recent advances in Artificial Intelligence, especially in speech technology, can improve older adults’ health by providing non-invasive, accessible solutions for social engagement, daily tasks, and diagnoses of mild cognitive impairment. However, AI is mainly trained on English data, leaving over a billion non-English-speaking seniors underserved. This limits access, delays diagnoses, and worsens healthcare disparities. We emphasize the urgent need to develop speech datasets in low-resource languages, focusing on community involvement, equitable benefits, and sustainable participation to create inclusive healthcare tools for older adults.
Click here to view the article.
- Terhune, E. A., Dagne, M. B., Barsoum, M., Viswanathan, M., Ali, R., Welch, V., Pizarro, A. B., Sathe, N., Duque, T., Francis, D., Rizvi, A., Riddle, D., Turner, R. W., Baker, T. A., & Heyn, P. C. (2026). Defining racial health equity: An integrative analysis of terminology and conceptualizations. Journal of Clinical Epidemiology, 190, 112103. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclinepi.2025.112103
- Diaz-Asper, C., Dagne, M., & Heyn, P. C. (2025). Equitable speech technologies for older adults: A call to prioritize low-resource languages. Retrieved January 5, 2026, from https://dx.doi.org/10.1093/geront/gnaf315
- Dagne M., Terhune E., Barsoum M, Pizarro A, Rizvi A, Francis D, Viswanathan M, Sathe N, Welch V, Duque T, Turner II R, Baker T, Heyn P. C., Terminology and Definitions of Racial Health Equity in Prominent Health Websites: Systematic Review J Med Internet Res 2025;27:e64868 doi: 10.2196/64868
- Ries, J. D., De Santis, C., Dagne, M. B., Ouabicha, K., Sood, P., & Heyn, P. C. (2025). The redundant landscape of meta-analyses: Evaluating exercise interventions for older adults with cognitive impairment. Ageing research reviews, 108, 102754. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2025.102754
- Pappa, Sara T. & Karczmarczyk, Diana. (2025, August). Teaching Strategies that Bridge the Gap Between Theory and Practice. Peer-reviewed presentation: International Teaching and Learning Cooperative Lilly Conference, Ashville, NC
- Pappa, Sara T. & Elrod, Cathy. (2025, May). Saving Claire: An Innovative Approach to Falls Prevention. Peer-reviewed presentation: NCOA Age+Action Conference, Arlington, VA.
- Das Gupta, D., Kelekar, U., Bhattacharyya, K. K., & Turner, S. C. (2025). Racial-ethnic differences in the associations between functional disabilities and subsequent depression among community-dwelling midlife and older adults in the US. Disability and Health Journal, 18(1), Article 1. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2024.101709
- Heyn, P. C., Gross, M., Gopaul, U., Ogawa, E., Diaz-Asper, C., Devos, H., Terhune, E. A., & Harden, J. T. (2025). What is Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI)? A Guide for Patients, Families, and Caregivers. Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmr.2025.05.007
- Kelekar, U., X. Pan, E. Philippou, Muhammad T., P.C. Heyn, B. Wu. (2025) “Associations between oral health measures and cognitive function in middle-aged and older Indian adults”, Scientific Reports, 15(1), 13183.
- Kelekar, U., Amel Ben, D Dasgupta, Tran, Diep ThiQuynh, J., Shepherd, S.C. Turner (2025), “Age-based variations in frequent emergency department (ED) use among older adults – An analysis using the New-York University-Johns Hopkins University Emergency Department Algorithm (NYU/JHU-EDA)”, World Medical and Health Policy.
For a complete list of:
- Dr. Uma Kelekar’s published work please visit her Google Scholar and ResearchGate pages.
- Dr. Catherine Diaz-Asper’s published work. Please visit her Pubmed page.
- Dr. Julie D. Ries’s published work, please visit these Google Scholar and PubMed pages.
- Mahederemariam Dagne’s published work. Please visit her Google Scholar page.
- Erin Staker’s published work, please visit her Google Scholar page.
