Catherine Bigonnesse

Catherine Bigonnesse is an Assistant Professor in Political Science at the University of New Brunswick and Canada Research Chair in Healthy Aging (appointed 2022). Her research examines how social policy impacts older adults' health in rapidly aging populations.

Education:

• PhD in Gerontology from Simon Fraser University
• MA in Social Work from Université de Sherbrooke
• BA in Psychology from Université de Sherbrooke

As an environmental gerontologist, Bigonnesse studies aging-in-place processes, housing models, community-based support services, and age-friendly communities. She leads the Atlantic Observatory on Aging and the Healthy Aging Policy Innovation Lab, which develops policies through collaboration with older adults and stakeholders.

Her publications analyze neighborhood impacts on aging, social frailty, long-term care during COVID-19, and mobility accessibility. Research employs participatory methods to understand environmental influences on wellbeing in later life.

At UNB, she teaches Qualitative Methods in Political Science. Previously, she was a postdoctoral fellow at Université de Moncton's Research Centre on Aging, where she remains an associate researcher.