Susanne Zank

Prof. Dr. Susanne Zank is a renowned academic at the University of Cologne, holding the Chair of Rehabilitation Gerontology. She serves as Deputy Director of ceres (Center for Ethics, Rights, Economics and Social Sciences of Health) and Vice-Rector for Anti-Discrimination and Equal Opportunities. Her research focuses on gerontology, particularly caregiver burden in dementia, health inequalities in aging populations, and technology-assisted healthcare for the elderly. She has led major studies like the NRW80+ and D80+, examining quality of life, cognitive decline, and trauma impacts in very old adults. A recipient of the DGGG Grand Prize (2024), she also pioneered the Berlin Inventory for Family Burden-Dementia (BIZA-D) and Depression in Old Age Scale (DIAS). Her work bridges clinical practice, policy, and education through initiatives like the GROW graduate school.

• Education: Psychology studies at TU Berlin and University of British Columbia, Canada.
• Leadership roles: President of German Society of Geriatrics and Rehabilitation (2016–2020), Section Head of DGGG.
• Teaching: Contributions to gerontological handbooks and clinical guidelines.

Her research emphasizes interventions to enhance autonomy in aging populations, including telemedicine for diabetes management and addressing violence/abuse in later life. Over 20 doctoral theses have been supervised under her guidance.