As the region with the highest percentage of people aged 65 and older in Canada, the quality of life for our seniors is profoundly impacted by chronic illnesses such as dementia, which are strongly linked to frailty.

At Dalhousie University’s Faculty of Medicine, our world-leading researchers are at the forefront of tackling the challenges of aging. Their work focuses on preventing illness, improving treatments, and shaping policies that will help us all age better and contribute longer to our communities.

Meet the Speakers:

Susan Howlett is Professor of Pharmacology and Geriatric Medicine at Dalhousie University in Halifax. She has discovered profound differences in male and female heart cell function, how these change with age, and how sex hormones regulate these processes. Her lab has pioneered the measurement of frailty in naturally aging animals with a novel "frailty index" (FI) tool based on deficit accumulation.

Her work shows that the level of frailty rather than age alone is a better tool to grade maladaptive, age-dependent changes in heart structure and function. A translational scientist, she has used results from animal studies to develop a new tool based on lab results (the FI-Lab) to measure frailty in people.


Kenneth Rockwood is Professor of Medicine (Geriatric Medicine & Neurology) and Clinical Research Professor of Frailty & Aging at Dalhousie University. He has leadership roles in many studies of frailty and dementia, in Canada and around the world. Since 1991, Dr. Rockwood has been a staff physician at Nova Scotia Health and since 2021, Senior Medical Director of Nova Scotia Health’s Frailty & Elder Care Network.

In 2021 Ken received the Ryman Prize, which the Prime Minister of New Zealand awards for the best work carried out anywhere that has enhanced quality of life for older people. Several honours have followed, the most recent being named as an Officer of the Order of Canada. This is recognized in his home province as being “not too shabby for a Newfoundlander”.

Dr. Pamela Jarrett is a geriatrician with Horizon Health Network in Saint John, New Brunswick, and an Associate Professor of Medicine at Dalhousie University. A Dalhousie Medical School graduate, she has practiced geriatric medicine since 1994, contributing to clinical care, administration, teaching, and research. Her work focuses on improving the lives of older adults, particularly those living with dementia, through prevention, management, education, and caregiver support.

Dr. Jarrett leads research initiatives on Transitions in Care of Older Adults and has been recognized with a Clinical Research Scholarship from ResearchNB and the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Excellence in Aging. In 2023, she was appointed to the Canadian Ministerial Advisory Board on Dementia, highlighting her dedication to enhancing care for older adults in New Brunswick and beyond.