Karen Fingerman

Karen Fingerman is the Sonia Wilson Professor of Human Development & Family Sciences at the University of Texas at Austin, where she serves as Director of the Texas Aging and Longevity Consortium and Research Director of the NIA-funded Center on Aging and Population Sciences. With a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan (1993), she specializes in socioemotional development across adulthood, focusing on

• Family relationships
• Social integration in aging
• Daily life emotional experiences
• Intergenerational caregiving

Research Focus

Her work investigates:

• Aging Demographics: Lewy Body Dementia caregiving, young adult caregivers
• Methodologies: Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA), Electronically Activated Recorders (EAR), actigraphy
• Social Dynamics: Peripheral ties, in-law relationships, grandparent roles
• Technology: Digital communication’s impact on aging families

Scientific Recognition

• Baltes Award (APA, 2022)
• BSS Distinguished Mentorship (GSA, 2020)
• CNS Teaching Excellence (2020)
• Executive Management Fellow (UT Austin, 2019)

Current Projects

Leading NIA-funded studies on caregivers for Lewy Body Dementia patients and daily well-being in aging populations, with collaborations on late-life hearing aid adoption.