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[Translate to English:] © Jürgen Huhn​/​TU Dortmund
Social Sciences Colloquium

Research Award Winner Speaks on Aging and Care in England

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Photo: A portrait of Dr. Giorgio Di Gessa © Brittany Echemendia
Dr. Giorgio Di Gessa, a visiting scholar at the Department of Social Sciences, will give a lecture on 29 April.
Dr. Giorgio Di Gessa from University College London has been conducting research at TU Dortmund University since the beginning of the year. The associate professor of statistics and population health came to Germany as part of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation’s Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Research Award and is collaborating with Prof. Martina Brandt at the Department of Social Sciences. At the social sciences colloquium on 29 April 2026, he will speak about his findings on care, inequalities, and health, drawing on examples from England. The English-language lecture is open to all interested parties.

The Humboldt Foundation’s Bessel Prize is part of the German government’s “1,000 Heads” program, which aims to attract top international researchers to Germany on a long-term basis. One of up to 20 prizes awarded annually went to the London-based researcher in 2026. Dr. Giorgio Di Gessa conducts research at the intersection of social, health, and life course studies using quantitative methods. He investigates how social and demographic factors influence healthy aging, utilizing extensive longitudinal data and statistical methods. His research focuses on the question of how social activities—such as paid work, volunteer work, or informal caregiving—are related to physical and mental health in middle and older age. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Di Gessa also investigated how measures to contain the virus have affected mental health, social circumstances, and access to healthcare, particularly among older adults.

During his visit to TU Dortmund University, he is collaborating with Prof. Martina Brandt and her team at the Chair of Social Structure and Sociology of Aging Societies on comparative, policy-oriented research on aging societies, family relationships, and caregiving. In particular, he examines how caregiving responsibilities over the life course affect social inequalities, health, and employment trajectories. In his lecture “Caregiving, Inequalities, and Health: Evidence From England,” which will take place on 29 April 2026 at 4:15 p.m. at Emil-Figge-Straße 50, he will present current findings on the effects of caregiving on quality of life. His analyses are based on data from the long-term study “English Longitudinal Study of Ageing.” He will also provide an outlook on planned research into caregiving histories and their long-term consequences for work and health in older age.

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