February 21, 2023

NEAR’s new Steering Group


Willhelmina Hoffman, Björn Halleröd, Kaare Christensen, Luigi Ferrucci, Anne, W Ekdahl

NEAR has now entered phase 2.0, with a focus on consolidation and expansion. Due to that, a newly formed Steering Group has been appointed. The newly formed Steering Group consists of members with national and internationally recognized expertise in aging research and research infrastructures, as well as representatives of societal issues related to aging and user perspectives. The Steering Group oversees the strategic plan, budget, and steering documents.

On February 20, the newly formed Steering Group and adjunct members met via Zoom to get an introduction to NEAR and an update on current projects and future plans.

Steering Group Members:
Björn Halleröd, Chair, Professor in sociology, University of Gothenburg

Wilhelmina Hoffman , President of the Swedish Dementia Centre (SDC)
Anne Ekdahl, Senior lecturer, senior physician, specialist physician, Lund University
Luigi Ferrucci, Scientific Director of National Institute on Aging, USA
Kaare Christensen, Professor of epidemiology at the University of Southern Denmark

Associated members: Laura Fratiglioni, Lena LewinDebora RizzutoDavide Liborio Vetrano, Linnea Sjöberg

We look forward to continued work with the Steering Group!

More activities

July 7, 2026

NEAR at International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics (IAGG) 2026

NEAR was delighted to participate in the session Cohort Data Infrastructures for Aging Research in Europe and Canada at the 23rd International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics (IAGG) World Congress on . The session showcased leading international initiatives from Europe and North America, highlighting how cohort and data infrastructures can advance innovative, collaborative research on […]

June 1, 2026

Newly Appointed Steering Group

We are pleased to announce the appointment of a new NEAR Steering Group, effective from 26 May 2026 to 31 December 2029. The Steering Group brings together leading national and international expertise across geriatrics, epidemiology, psychology, and life sciences, reflecting NEAR’s interdisciplinary mission and global outlook. Kaare Christensen and Luigi Ferrucci remain on the Steering […]

March 24, 2026

Uppsala University is joining NEAR!

NEAR is happy to share that we are expanding to include Uppsala University and two additional databases: the Uppsala Longitudinal Study of Adult Men (ULSAM) and the Healthy Ageing Initiative (HAI). HAI is led by Peter Nordström and Anna Nordström, and ULSAM is also led by Peter Nordström. ULSAM is a population-based longitudinal cohort study […]