The establishment and maintenance of sustainable, accessible data archives are critical to advancing gerontological research across national and international contexts. Robust data archives, such as the National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging (NACDA), empower researchers, educators, and students to maximise the return on costly data collection by enabling secondary analysis, replication studies, and interdisciplinary collaboration. Internally managed archival systems further promote equitable data distribution and research autonomy.

This workshop explores NACDA, the world’s largest publically accessible collection of ageing-related studies with over 1,600 longitudinal and cross-sectional datasets, demonstrating hands-on strategies for discovering, accessing, and implementing curated data in research and teaching. Whether you are developing a thesis, designing a curriculum, or conducting advanced inquiries, publicly available ageing datasets can catalyse innovation.

In today's rapidly evolving technological landscape, recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) are revolutionising data analysis and discovery. The integration of AI-driven tools alongside traditional archival practices enables researchers to identify novel patterns, automate complex analyses, and foster new avenues for collaboration across borders. The workshop will briefly discuss these technological possibilities and provide guidance on how the latest digital tools can enhance gerontological inquiry.

All conference attendees are welcome to join, engage with NACDA instructors, and learn how to harness the power of ageing data—now amplified by state-of-the-art technologies—for research, education, and global partnership.

Biographies

Seoyoun Kim

Dr Seoyoun Kim is affiliated with ICPSR and the Population Studies Center at the Institute for Social Research within the University of Michigan, United States She is also the director of the NACDA Program on Aging. She holds a dual-title PhD in Sociology and Gerontology from Purdue University, United States. Her research lies at the intersection of social gerontology, epidemiology, multi-omics, and cardiovascular health. Dr Kim explores how social and environmental factors shape health outcomes, particularly in ageing populations. She examines the impact of paid and unpaid productive engagement on the well-being of older adults, shedding light on the social determinants of health in later life. Her research also integrates multi-omics approaches to unravel the complex interactions between genetic, epigenetic, and environmental influences on health and ageing.

Kathryn Lavender

Kathryn Lavender is the Data Project Manager for the National Archive of Computerized Data on Aging (NACDA), the aging archive at the Inter-University Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) at the Institute for Social Research, the University of Michigan, United States. NACDA is funded by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Ms Lavender helps to guide data producers on data management and data sharing in the realm of data on aging populations/gerontology; promotes secondary research resources for public use; and contributes to spreading knowledge about quality metadata and data discovery through NACDA, as well as through the DDI Alliance. Ms Lavender has been an ICPSR staff member for more than 15 years and has been managing NACDA for nearly half of that time.

About the Presenter(s)
Dr Seoyoun Kim is affiliated with ICPSR and the Population Studies Center at the Institute for Social Research within the University of Michigan, United States She is also the director of the NACDA Program on Aging.

See this presentation on the full schedule – Tuesday Schedule

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