Karen Fingerman

Wilson Regents Professor in Human Ecology, Department of Human Development and Family Sciences in the College of Natural Sciences
Director of Texas Aging and Longevity Consortium
Director of Research for the CAPS Program Development and Pilot Core

While Alzheimer's disease rightfully captures much of the attention in dementia research, a different form of dementia intrigues Karen Fingerman.

At UT Austin, Fingerman directs an ongoing study of caregivers for older adults with Lewy body dementia, one of the most common causes of dementia. Fingerman's study, funded by the National Institutes of Health, is the first of its kind to track caregivers for and family members of older people coping with Lewy body dementia throughout the day.

Fingerman said Lewy body dementia is more complicated and can be more demanding than Alzheimer's, as it exhibits symptoms of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease, produces hallucinations and causes REM sleep disorders.

Work that Fingerman undertook while pursuing psychology degrees sparked her curiosity about research involving older adults. She entered graduate school to study adolescence. But when a professor whose research focused on aging recruited Fingerman to interview study participants from all age groups, she discovered talking with older adults was more captivating than talking with younger people.

"They were the most interesting people. They'd lived full lives, and their stories reflected that," she said.

After that experience, Fingerman pivoted toward the field of "successful aging," seeking to learn why some older people don't experience declines.

"We are the first generations of human beings who've ever gotten to be on this planet expecting to live to old age. And it shapes every decision we make, every experience we have," said Fingerman.

Explaining that the study of aging is a new "phenomenon," she added: "What could be more interesting than that?"