Published in RINewsToday on April 20, 2026
Over 300 people packed Edwards Auditorium on the University of Rhode Island’s (URI) Kingston Campus on April 7th to attend the 20th annual Malford Thewlis Lecture on Gerontology and Geriatrics. This year, Dr. Laura Kubzansky from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health spoke, offering research-based, practical tips for living longer and better.
Each year, URI’s lecture highlights important issues related to aging, with particular attention given to policies and programs affecting older adults. Dr. Phillip G. Clark, director of URI’s Program in Gerontology and the Rhode Island Geriatric Education Center, expressed excitement in focusing on personal attributes and longevity at this lecture.
Clark, who serves as emcee, explained that the lecture aims to unite different fields and engage people outside academia. “We show that every field contributes to understanding aging,” he said, adding, “we work hard to keep it accessible—grounded in science but understandable to the general public.”
This message is particularly relevant to Rhode Island. After Clark introduced the event, URI Provost Barbara Wolfe welcomed everyone and highlighted that more than 20% of Rhode Islanders are now aged 65 or older, achieving “super-aging” status. She emphasized that this demographic shift will significantly affect the state’s future budget.
Wolfe also highlighted that by 2050, about 2 billion people worldwide will be age 60 and over, underscoring the significance of the Ocean State’s graying population.
“As a public flagship university, we believe it’s our responsibility to get involved with important social, economic, and policy issues like aging,” says Wolfe.
Building on Wolfe’s remarks, Kubzansky brought decades of expertise to the lecture. She has studied how psychological well-being connects to physical health. Her research examines both traditional risk factors and how traits like optimism and social connection affect health over time.
The Harvard professor has led or co-led many research projects funded by organizations such as the Veterans Administration, the National Institutes of Health, and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. She is also a fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Academy of Behavioral Medicine Research.
Focusing on “Healthspan” Rather Than Only Lifespan
In her one-hour lecture, “Optimism and Kindness: Ingredients for a Long and Healthy Life,” Kubzansky urged researchers and the public to rethink how we approach aging. She explained that we should aim not only to live longer, but to remain healthy for more years, free from long-term illness or disability.
Kubzansky describes an “asset-based approach” to health as part of this new way of thinking. This approach means focusing on positive resources or strengths—such as optimism, kindness, and strong relationships—rather than only on problems like stress or depression.
Meanwhile, she suggested that researchers should also study how these positive traits and experiences influence health. She explained that for a long time, physicians doubted whether these factors truly affect physical health. But now, research increasingly shows their impact.
Kubzansky cited studies showing that activities such as volunteering, spending time in nature, and building social connections improve health and extend life.
She also explained that negative experiences, such as loneliness or post-traumatic stress disorder, increase the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease.
“The key question,” she said, “is whether positive factors do more than just show the absence of something negative, and if they actually offer their own unique benefits.”
Kubzansky cited a study that suggests optimistic people live about 15% longer and are 24% more likely to age in good health. These benefits extend beyond the absence of depression.
This leads to an important question for researchers: ” She asks, can improving mental well-being also improve one’s physical health?
“If we can improve psychosocial functioning,” Kubzansky said, “we may also be able to improve physical health later on. That’s a very promising idea for healthy aging.”
Kubzansky discussed a large United Kingdom study that found people who volunteer or donate to charity experience less chronic pain years later. She noted that another long-term study links loneliness to a much higher risk of heart disease.
One of the most striking research findings Kubzansky shared came from the Baltimore Experience Corps Study. It showed that older adults who volunteered slowed the decline in brain volume, essentially turning back the clock on brain aging by about three years. She found these results both “striking and encouraging.” She said, “They’re solid, have been repeated in other studies, and show actions people can really take.”
At the end of the lecture, the question and answer session allowed Kubzansky to discuss topics she hadn’t covered earlier. She talked about practical issues, such as the roles and impacts of pets, family, and faith communities on health; research topics, such as causality and financial differences; and broader social questions, such as optimism among younger people. These conversations helped connect her research to real-life situations.
A Rhode Island Gerontologist’s Perspective
For URI’s Clark, this year’s Malford Thewlis Lecture on Gerontology and Geriatrics demonstrated that researchers increasingly approach aging in new ways.
“There’s more focus now on human flourishing,” he said, emphasizing Kubzansky’s work at Harvard as a prime example. He stressed that this research challenges old assumptions about aging.
“Many people tend to associate aging with decline,” Clark said. “But research tells us that’s not the whole story,” he continued.
Clark said what stood out most to him during Kubzansky’s presentation was the idea that people have more control over their health than they might realize. “Each of us can develop habits and ways of thinking that improve our chances of living longer and staying healthier,” he said.
Many of these new habits are simple and easy to start, says Clark, including volunteering, staying active, spending time outdoors, or keeping in touch with friends. Even small things, such as caring for a pet or gardening, can make a difference, he says.
For people who have trouble getting around, connecting with friends or family by phone, joining online groups, taking virtual classes, or writing letters can be meaningful. The most important thing is to find activities—big or small—that work for each person and help them build positive connections with others.
Clark sees loneliness as a major social problem that the entire community and system must address—not just individuals.
Volunteering stands out in particular. “People often gain as much or even more from it than those they help,” Clark observed. Having a sense of personal agency is central to all of this. While genetics plays a role, Clark pointed out that research shows we control about 30 percent of our lifespan.
“The takeaway of the lecture,” he said, “is that a positive outlook matters. Even when things are difficult, there are ways to respond that support better health.”
In summary, Kubzansky’s lecture aimed to change how people think about aging, moving beyond just a medical view to one that also values psychological and social well-being. She encouraged everyone—academics, URI students, and community members—to think more broadly about what it means to age well.
Hopefully, her evidence-based arguments may inspire Congress, state policymakers, and public health leaders to allocate more funding to programs that foster social connections, kindness, and a sense of purpose. Attendees heard Kubzansky make a strong scientific case for volunteering, maintaining strong social ties, staying positive, and looking forward. Yes, these practical steps can extend not just your lifespan, but also your healthspan.
In 2006, URI started the Malford Thewlis Lecture on Gerontology and Geriatrics to get people talking and thinking about aging. It is named after Dr. Malford W. Thewlis, a pioneer in geriatric medicine and co-founder of the American Geriatrics Society in 1942. He lived in Wakefield and wrote an early textbook on geriatrics, “The Care of the Aged: Geriatrics,” first published in 1919. He was also an amateur magician and a member of the International Brotherhood of Magicians.
To view Kubzansky’s lecture, go to
Herb Weiss 