Ellen B. Ryan, Ph.D.
- Professor Emeritus, McMaster University
- Department of Health, Aging & Society
- Department of Psychiatry & Behavioural Neurosciences
- Affiliated Researcher, Centre for Creative Aging,
Sheridan Elder Research Centre
Fellow:
- Gerontological Society of America
- Canadian Psychological Association
- American Psychological Association
Interests
- Communication and Aging
- Writing, Life Stories, and Creativity in Later Life
- Fostering Personhood in Dementia through Communication
- Aging with Spirit
Working within the Communication Predicament of Aging Model, her research highlights predicaments experienced by vulnerable older adults with sensory, cognitive, and physical impairments and the roles of empowering communication in promoting successful aging with a disability.
She edits the Writing Down Our Years Series [published by the McMaster Centre for Gerontological Studies - recently renamed Gilbrea Centre for Studies in Aging]. The books highlight the many ways in which writing can benefit older adults and those with whom they share their life stories and poems.
