Dr. Susan Kirkland, a founding principal investigator of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA), has retired after a distinguished career dedicated to advancing our understanding of aging and chronic disease.
Dr. Kirkland has been involved in the CLSA since its inception and has played a central role in shaping the study’s design, content, measures, governance, and implementation, alongside co-leads Dr. Parminder Raina and Dr. Christina Wolfson. She has led the Halifax Data Collection Site at Dalhousie University, served as director of the CLSA’s Computer-Assisted Telephone Interview (CATI) network and co-chaired the Training and Research Capacity Committee of the CLSA.
A leading epidemiologist, Dr. Kirkland has focused her research on the complex interplay of social, physical, and genetic factors that influence how individuals age and develop chronic conditions. Her contributions have significantly advanced the fields of healthy aging, mental and physical health in older adults, technology and aging, frailty, and the impact of COVID-19 on older populations in Canada.
Beyond her work with the CLSA, Dr. Kirkland has held appointments as professor and head of the Department of Community Health and Epidemiology at Dalhousie University. She has received numerous accolades, including being named a Dalhousie Distinguished Research Professor, an AGE-WELL Honorary Fellow, and a Fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS).
We would like to extend a huge thank you to Dr. Kirkland for her immense contributions to the CLSA and wish her all the best in the next chapter of her life. She will continue to hold the title of principal investigator emerita with the CLSA.
