We live at a unique time in human history. We need to ensure lives are not just long, but healthy, productive, and engaged for longer. Now that global life expectancy is over 70 years old, the first longevity revolution, in which the majority can expect to live a long life, is coming to an end. A second longevity revolution must emerge, focusing on changing how we age. That means shifting away from an “aging” society narrative towards a “longevity” society agenda aiming to make the most of the extra years we have gained.
The Longevity Imperative: Building a Better Society for Healthier, Longer Lives (2024) by Andrew Scott outlines the fundamental changes needed in our health system, the economy, and the financial sector in order to seize the advantages of longer lives. In this conversation, Georgetown University Professor Carole Roan Gresenz and author Andrew Scott will discuss some of the changes needed and consider how investing in our new longer futures can achieve better outcomes and stimulate economic growth.
This event is co-sponsored by the Global Economic Challenges Network, the Center for Healthy Aging, and the Center for Economic Research at Georgetown University.
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Andrew Scott is professor of economics at London Business School, a research fellow at the Centre for Economic Policy Research, and a co-founder of the Longevity Forum. His research focuses on the economics of longevity and aging, and he is published in a wide range of leading academic journals. He has advised a variety of governments, institutions, and companies. His award-winning book The Hundred Year Life (2016) is a global bestseller having sold one million copies, and his new book The Longevity Imperative will be published in March 2024. He holds a Ph.D. from Oxford University and has previously held positions at Oxford University, Harvard University, and the London School of Economics.
Carole Roan Gresenz is a professor in the McCourt School of Public Policy and the Bette Jacobs Endowed Professor in the School of Health’s Department of Health Management and Policy at Georgetown University. She previously served as senior advisor for strategic health initiatives in the Office of the President and as interim dean of the School of Nursing and Health Studies at Georgetown University. Her current research examines the financial consequences of mild cognitive impairment and undiagnosed Alzheimer's disease and related disorders. She serves on the editorial boards of Health Services Research, Medical Care Research and Review, and Transforming Care. She holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in economics from Brown University and a B.A. in economics from Loyola University Maryland.