FIFSW Postdoc Talks: Rethinking Successful Aging: Maintaining, Adapting, and Reclaiming Well-Being in Later Life, with Dr. Mabel Ho

FIFSW’s Research Office and Office of the Dean are pleased to present 2026-2027 Postdoc Talks.

Open to all, each event will showcase the outstanding research contributions of our postdoctoral fellows. Hear inspiring presentations; network with researchers, faculty and students, and learn about research success beyond the PhD.

FIFSW Postdoc Talks: Meet Dr. Mabel Ho

When: Monday October 19, 2026, 12:10-1pm

Where: FIFSW Webinar Rm# 422 and on Zoom (Mtg ID 83427840216)

Title: Rethinking Successful Aging: Maintaining, Adapting, and Reclaiming Well-Being in Later Life

What to expect: Explore successful aging as a dynamic, multidimensional process and consider how physical, psychological, social, and subjective factors shape and support well-being in later life.

Bring your lunch; we will provide drinks.

Please RSVP by October 16 by filling out this form

Participants are encouraged to attend the session in-person; however, a Zoom link is included in the invite for those who need to attend virtually.

About the Talk

What does it mean to age successfully? In contrast to a traditional understanding of successful aging as the maintenance of health and independence, this presentation takes a closer look at successful aging as a dynamic and multidimensional phenomenon that includes physical, psychological, social, and subjective well-being. Drawing on the findings of four studies using data from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging, the presentation will examine the relationships between immigrant status, marital trajectories, social participation, socioeconomic factors, lifestyle factors, and successful aging. It will also show that successful aging is not a static state: around one-quarter of older adults who did not initially exhibit optimal well-being regained it after approximately three years.

About Mabel Ho

Mabel Ho, PhD, MSW, RSW, is a recipient of the Research Excellence Postdoctoral Fellows Program (REPFP) and a research affiliate at the FIFSW Institute for Life Course & Aging. A registered social worker with more than 20 years of experience in gerontological social work, she has worked with older adults and their families in community programs, long-term care homes, hospice, and hospital settings. Her research focuses on the health and well-being of older adults, using quantitative research methods to inform policies and practices that support healthy aging and improve the quality of life of older adults.