Dr. Caitlin Pope, Assistant Professor in the Department of Health, Behavior & Society, and the Graduate Center for Gerontology at the University of Kentucky’s College of Public Health, is recognized as a 2022 Association For Psychological Science (APS) Rising Star, which is presented to outstanding members in the earliest stages of their research career post-PhD.
“I’m honored to be nominated and selected as a 2022 APS Rising Star,” says Dr. Pope. “I’m appreciative of all my mentors and collaborators that I’ve gained thus far, and excited for the opportunities to come.”
Drawing its name from an Observer editorial series that features exemplars of the exciting work being done by the field’s newest researchers, the ASA Rising Star designation recognizes researchers whose innovative work has already advanced the field and signals great potential for their continued contributions.
“I’m delighted to see Dr. Pope recognized with this well-deserved honor,” says Dr. Marc Kiviniemi, Endowed Professor and Health, Behavior & Society Department Chair at the UK College of Public Health. “Her work exemplifies the best aspects of our department's mission — it both helps us understand the aging process and its impact on key cognitive and behavioral domains and provides actionable evidence that we can use to improve the safety and well-being of both older adults and all of society.”
Dr. Kiviniemi adds, “The fact that her award comes from the APS is also notable — a feature that makes her work so effective is that it is transdisciplinary — combining perspectives from psychology, public health, and gerontology to lead to creative approaches to understanding and addressing cognitive decline.”
Individuals being considered for the APS Rising Star designation are evaluated for their promise of excellence in research based on criteria including significant publications, recognitions, and discoveries; commitment to diversity in science, work with broad impact, and demonstrates independence from mentors.
The APS is the global scientific home of more than 25,000 leading psychological science researchers, practitioners, teachers, and students across all continents.
Dr. Caitlin N. Pope is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Health, Behavior & Society, and the Graduate Center for Gerontology. Dr. Pope is a faculty associate in the Kentucky Injury Prevention and Research Center and a Building Interdisciplinary Research Careers in Women’s Health (BIRCWH) scholar at the UK College of Medicine.
Dr. Pope’s research takes a lifespan approach to understanding the complex associations between normative age-related changes, pathology-related neurocognitive burden, and outcomes that reflect an individual’s ability to maintain safe and independent function in later life. The overall goal of her research is to prevent unintentional injuries, support and sustain functional independence in later life, and promote healthy aging through unique behavioral and cognitive solutions.
The University of Kentucky College of Public Health is undergoing a review by the Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) for re-accreditation. Part of this process includes the invitation to provide third-party comments. Anyone, including students, alumni, employers, community partners, etc., is allowed to share relevant information about the college directly with CEPH. If you would like to provide input to CEPH to inform their review, send your comments to submissions@ceph.org by May 4th, 2025.
