KINGSTON, R.I.—April 14, 2008—The Rhode Island Geriatric Education Center and the University of Rhode Island Program in Gerontology will host the Third Annual Malford Thewlis Lecture, entitled, “Environment, Aging and Disability: Current Research and Prospects for the Future.” The lecture will be delivered by Geoff Fernie, a mechanical engineer and professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Toronto as well as the vice president of research at Toronto Rehabilitation Institute.
The lecture, free and open to the public, will be held on Wednesday April 30, from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Independence Hall Auditorium, 60 Upper College Road, Kingston Campus. A reception will follow at the URI Alumni Center from 5 to 6 p.m. To RSVP for the reception contact Judith Sweeney at 401-874-5311 or email rigec_jsweeney@uri.edu.
Fernie’s primary research interests are in understanding physical and cognitive disabilities that are frequently encountered by people as they age, and developing technologies that help prevent, treat, or manage these limitations. His presentation will address applied interdisciplinary research that bridges engineering and clinical professions in geriatrics and rehabilitation.
The annual lecture is named for Malford Thewlis, one of the founders of the American Geriatrics Society in 1942. A former resident of Wakefield, Thewlis wrote The Care of the Aged: Geriatrics, a 1919 textbook on geriatrics medicine. The lecture series is a way to acknowledge this local man’s pioneering work and contributions to the field.
The Rhode Island Geriatric Education Center is a consortium of the URI Colleges of Nursing, Pharmacy, and Human Sciences and Services; Rhode Island College; the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University/Rhode Island Area Health Education Center; and Roger Williams Medical Center. The center aims to enhance the quality of life for older adults in the state by improving knowledge and skills in geriatrics and gerontology among health care and human service professionals, educators, students, older adults, and family caregivers.
For more information go to www.uri.edu/outreach/rigec or call 401-874-5311.