Applied Aging Research

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Applied Aging Research Description

The team at Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging is dedicated to conducting applied aging studies that align with current and emerging issues impacting the aging journey. As a thought leader in several aging care domains, we share our knowledge in professional channels and with the wider community to promote best practices that are implemented by social service and community-based agencies across the country. Furthermore, we promote effective public policies that support the wellbeing of aging adults and those who care for them. 

We are uniquely qualified to translate research findings into new and innovative services and evidence-based programs, because of our integration with the services of Benjamin Rose and many other service organizations across the country.

Our Expertise:

  • Use of diverse theoretical models and methodologies
  • Gathering in-depth information directly from older adults, families and service providers
  • Translating research into innovative programs and services
  • Developing and testing data collection tools

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Leadership

Leadership

David M. Bass, PhD

Senior Vice President, Research and Education

Contact: researchandeducation@benrose.org | (216) 373-1664 | Download CV (PDF)

Dr. David Bass is Senior Vice President of Research and Education at Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging. He has led over 80 funded research projects on topics such as: coping with chronic illness; family caregiving; quality of care and services; dementia and dementia care; and use and impact of formal services and informal support. Results of these investigations have been widely published in scientific and clinical journals, such as the Journal of the American Geriatric Society and The Gerontologist. Results also have been used to develop innovative programs for older adults and their family members, such as BRI Care Consultation™, which has been delivered by over 60 licensed service organizations across the US.

Dr. David Bass is Senior Vice President of Research and Education at Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging. He has led over 80 funded research projects on topics such as: coping with chronic illness; family caregiving; quality of care and services; dementia and dementia care; and use and impact of formal services and informal support. Results of these investigations have been widely published in scientific and clinical journals, such as the Journal of the American Geriatric Society and The Gerontologist. Results also have been used to develop innovative programs for older adults and their family members, such as BRI Care Consultation™, which has been delivered by over 60 licensed service organizations across the US.

His current research focuses on development, testing and implementation of evidence-based programs, with a special emphasis on care for persons with Alzheimer's disease or other dementias and their family caregivers, and caregiving among diverse populations. In accord with the mission of Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging, a consistent theme of Dr. Bass’ work is the translation of research into practical applications that enhance the wellness of, and quality of care for, older adults and their family members. Dr. Bass received his doctoral degree in Sociology from the University of Akron and Kent State University in 1985.

Jessica Bibbo, PhD

Research Scientist

Contact: researchandeducation@benrose.org | (216) 373-2021 | Download CV (PDF)

Jessica Bibbo, Ph.D. is a Research Scientist in the Center for Research and Education at Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging, where they work on research and evaluation studies to better serve older adults and their caregivers. They joined Benjamin Rose in 2018. Dr. Bibbo’s research focuses on aging, caregiving and human-animal interaction. Their work investigates the impact of pet ownership and the human-animal bond on the lives of older adults and their families.

Jessica Bibbo, Ph.D. is a Research Scientist in the Center for Research and Education at Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging, where they work on research and evaluation studies to better serve older adults and their caregivers. They joined Benjamin Rose in 2018.

Dr. Bibbo’s research focuses on aging, caregiving and human-animal interaction. Their work investigates the impact of pet ownership and the human-animal bond on the lives of older adults and their families. They have published peer-reviewed articles on the impact of older adults’ pets on the instrumental and emotional experiences of the older adults’ caregivers. Prior to joining Benjamin Rose, they were a Postdoctoral Scholar at the Organization for Human-Animal Interaction Research and Education lab in the Center for the Human-Animal Bond at Purdue University.

Dr. Bibbo earned their Ph.D. in Human Environmental Science at the University of Missouri in 2016. They were a student in the Human Development and Family Science department, a graduate research assistant at the Research Center for Human-Animal Interaction and a G. Ellsworth Huggins Graduate Scholar.

They are currently a Convener for the Human-Animal Interaction Special Interest Group of the Gerontological Society of America and serves on the Editorial Board for the Human-Animal Interaction Bulletin published by the American Psychological Association.

Farida Kassim Ejaz, PhD

Senior Research Scientist

Contact: researchandeducation@benrose.org | (216) 373-1660 | Download CV (PDF)

Dr. Farida Kassim Ejaz is a Senior Research Scientist at Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging. Dr. Ejaz has served as Principal or Co-Principal Investigator, or Consultant on more than 30 externally funded research grants. She has over 30 years of experience in conducting applied aging research. Specialty areas of her research include examining abuse, neglect and exploitation among older adults and adults with disabilities; examining quality of life, care and consumer satisfaction in residential care facilities and community-based settings; examining issues related to direct service workers; and examining the oral health conditions of older adults.

Dr. Farida Kassim Ejaz is a Senior Research Scientist at Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging. Dr. Ejaz has served as Principal or Co-Principal Investigator, or Consultant on more than 30 externally funded research grants. She has over 30 years of experience in conducting applied aging research. Specialty areas of her research include examining abuse, neglect and exploitation among older adults and adults with disabilities; examining quality of life, care and consumer satisfaction in residential care facilities and community-based settings; examining issues related to direct service workers; and examining the oral health conditions of older adults.

Dr. Ejaz received her Ph.D. in Social Welfare Administration from the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences, Case Western Reserve University (CWRU). She was invited to serve on the Technical Expert Panel to review screening and assessment tools for the elder justice field by the Administration for Community Living; for developing consumer satisfaction tools for assisted living and nursing home resident surveys by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. She is a recipient of the Altrusa Women’s scholarship, was awarded scholarships from Case Western Reserve University and received awards for academic excellence from the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, India.

Dr. Ejaz is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America (GSA), past Convener of the Aging Among Asians interest group at GSA and is a member of the American Society on Aging (ASA), co-chair of the Research Peer Group at ASA, a member of the National Association of Social Workers, the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education and Ohio’s Attorney General’s Elder Abuse Commission. She was selected as a member of GSA’s delegation to the German Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics in September 2016.

Dr. Ejaz has taught courses at local universities including at the Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences at CWRU. She has designed an International Fellowship Program in Gerontology at Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging. She has over 50 publications in peer reviewed journals and book chapters, and has given over 160 presentations at national and professional conferences.

Sara Powers, PhD

Research Scientist

Contact: evaluation@benrose.org | (216) 282-3164 | Download CV (PDF)

Sara Powers is a Research Scientist at Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging, and works on a variety of research and evaluation projects focused on bettering the lives of older adults and caregivers. Prior to joining Benjamin Rose in 2018, Dr. Powers was an Assistant Professor of Psychology at The College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York. While in academia, she taught courses related to developmental psychology and aging, as well as statistics and research methods.

Sara Powers is a Research Scientist at Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging, and works on a variety of research and evaluation projects focused on bettering the lives of older adults and caregivers.

Prior to joining Benjamin Rose in 2018, Dr. Powers was an Assistant Professor of Psychology at The College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York. While in academia, she taught courses related to developmental psychology and aging, as well as statistics and research methods.

Over the years, Dr. Powers has presented her research at both local and national conferences (e.g., Gerontological Society of America, American Psychological Association, Ohio Association of Gerontology and Education). She has presented on topics surrounding well-being and adjustment in widowhood, individuals living with dementia and their subjective illness experiences, transgender and gender nonconforming older adults’ perspectives on aging, as well as the cultural underpinnings of the informal caregiving experience. Dr. Powers has also published her research in a variety of peer-reviewed journals such as Dementia, LGBT Health, Women & Therapy and The Gerontologist.

Dr. Powers earned her Bachelor of Arts at Holy Family University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where she majored in Psychology and minored in Sociology. She then went on to The University of Akron in Akron, Ohio for her graduate studies, where she earned her Master of Arts and PhD in Adult Development and Aging.