2022 Leon and Josephine Winkelman Memorial Virtual Lecture | Part I

The Leon and Josephine Winkelman Lecture Series was established at the University of Michigan School of Social work by the Winkelman brothers - Stanley J., John, Frederick R., and Henry R. - as a memorial to their parents. 

The lecture series provides a forum for the presentation of new and emerging knowledge from the social sciences and the helping professions in the field of gerontology and for the discussion of the applications of such knowledge to the development of social policy, the organization and management of social welfare services, and the delivery of social work services.

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2022 Virtual Winkelman Lecture Part I

Linking Lives to Disrupt the Cycle of Social Isolation

Karen Fredriksen Goldsen, PhD, Professor, University of Washington School of Social Work

Loneliness is a serious hazard to human health, and often associated with cardiovascular disease, poor mental and physical health, and premature death. Social isolation in the U.S. has reached epidemic proportions, creating a largely invisible public health crisis with few resources. In her presentation, Professor Karen Fredriksen Goldsen will discuss the intensification of social isolation in the context of COVID-19. She will share her landmark research on aging among LGBTQ adults, who have historically experienced significant social restrictions, and discuss how these findings can provide effective interventions for anyone living in isolation.

Keynote Speaker

Karen Fredriksen Goldsen, PhD, is a professor and director of the Goldsen Institute at the School of Social Work, University of Washington. She is a nationally and internationally recognized scholar addressing issues of health equity, disparities, resilience, longevity, and well-being among resilient yet underserved populations. She is the principal investigator of many landmark studies, including National Health, Aging, and Sexuality/Gender Study (NHAS): Aging with Pride (R01), the first federally funded longitudinal study of LGBTQ midlife and older adults; Innovations in Dementia Empowerment and Action (IIDEA, R01), the first randomly controlled trial (RCT) for LGBTQ+ older adults living with memory loss and their care partners; as well as other funded studies that identify factors accounting for health trajectories and longevity in underserved communities. Based on the findings of this research, she is developing and testing innovative solutions to complex social problems. Dr. Fredriksen Goldsen is author of five books and special issues and more than 100 publications in leading journals. Her research has been cited by top news sources such as the New York Times, Washington Post, U.S. News & World Report, CNN, NBC News, Forbes, and more than 50 international news outlets. Based on the ground-breaking nature of her work, she has received many awards, including the inaugural National Institutes of Health’s Sexual & Gender Minority Distinguished Investigator Award, PBS’s Next Avenue’s inaugural Top 50 Influencers in Aging, Gerontological Society of America’s Maxwell A. Pollack Award for Healthy Aging, and the UW-wide Distinguished Teaching Award. She is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare.