NTU Global Asia Research Centre Seminar - The Social Architecture of Cognitive Health: Bridging Morbidity, Mental Wellbeing, and Policy in Aging Populations

Abstract

The Social Architecture of Cognitive Health: Bridging Morbidity, Mental Wellbeing, and Policy in Aging Populations

As global populations undergo a rapid demographic shift, the rising prevalence of multi-morbidity and cognitive impairment presents an urgent challenge to healthcare sustainability. Moving beyond a siloed clinical view of pathology, this presentation argues that cognitive health is fundamentally shaped by a "social architecture", a multifaceted web of social determinants, mental wellbeing, and environmental factors. Drawing upon extensive longitudinal research and recent systematic reviews, we examine the critical intersection between physical morbidities, specifically the systemic oral-brain axis, and neurodegeneration. We highlight how the "joint effect" of chronic conditions, such as diabetes and edentulism, accelerates cognitive decline, while identifying social isolation and socioeconomic disparities as potent catalysts for both mental health challenges and cognitive impairment. Crucially, the discussion introduces "neighborhood cohesion" as a vital moderator that can attenuate the impact of physical loss on brain health, suggesting that social environments can serve as a biological buffer. Finally, we pivot from individual pathology to systemic solutions, evaluating how integrated healthy aging policies and global health equity frameworks can foster cognitive resilience. By bridging clinical care and social support, we move beyond "lifespan" toward a holistic model of longevity centered on healthspan and psychological flourishing.

Speaker

Bei Wu, PhD, FGSA, FAGHE, FAAN (Hon), is the Provost and Distinguished Global Professor of Public Health at NYU Shanghai. An internationally recognized leader in gerontology, Professor Wu’s career is defined by her multidisciplinary approach to global health and aging. Prior to her current role, she served as Vice Dean for Research and Dean’s Professor in Global Health at the NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing, and previously held the Pauline Gratz Professorship at Duke University.

With a prolific body of scholarship exceeding 800 peer-reviewed publications, her research spans the critical intersections of dementia caregiving, geriatric oral health, long-term care policy, and immigrant health. In recognition of her extraordinary global contributions to health care, she was named an Honorary Fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. She is also a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and the New York Academy of Medicine, as well as an Honorary Member of the Sigma Theta Tau International Honor Society of Nursing.

Professor Wu’s global impact is reflected in her numerous accolades, including the Maxwell A. Pollack Award for Contributions to Healthy Aging (2023), the Public Service Award from the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (2024), and the World Perio Research Award (2025).

Prof. Bei Wu

PhD, FGSA, FAGHE, FAAN (Hon)

Provost and Distinguished Global Professor of Public Health

NYU Shanghai

• Prof. Bei Wu

  Bei Wu is the Provost and Distinguished Global Professor of Public Health at NYU Shanghai. As Provost, she serves as NYU Shanghai’s chief academic officer, setting the university’s academic strategy and priorities, and overseeing academic appointments, research, and faculty affairs.

  Prior to this role, Professor Wu served at NYU Rory Meyers College of Nursing as Vice Dean for Research and Dean’s Professor in Global Health, Director of Global Health and Aging Research, Director of Research at the Hartford Institute for Geriatric Nursing, and Inaugural Co-Director of the NYU Aging Incubator. Before joining NYU, she was the Pauline Gratz Professor of Nursing at Duke University. An internationally recognized leader in gerontology, Professor Wu has made lasting contributions to global health and aging research.

  Over the course of her career, Professor Wu has mentored hundreds of students, postdoctoral fellows, and faculty colleagues. Her prolific scholarship includes nearly 900 publications, including books, book chapters, conference abstracts, and 442 peer-reviewed journal articles, focusing on dementia caregiving, geriatric oral health, long-term care policy, dementia-related risk factors, immigrant health, and innovative interventions and technologies in aging. She has led dozens of externally funded research projects and has delivered invited keynote addresses at hundreds of national and international conferences and academic institutions.

  Professor Wu’s achievements have been recognized by numerous national and international organizations. She is a fellow of the Gerontological Society of America, the Association for Gerontology in Higher Education, and the New York Academy of Medicine, and an honorary fellow of the American Academy of Nursing. She is also an honorary member of the Honor Society of Nursing, Sigma Theta Tau International; the incoming President of the Council for Chinese American Deans and Presidents; and a former president of the Geriatric Oral Research Group of the International Association for Dental Research. In addition, She has served on NIH review panels for the past two decades, and frequently reviews for international funding agencies.

  Her many honors include the Distinguished Scientist Award for Geriatric Oral Research from the International Association for Dental Research (2017); the Inspiration Award from the China Health Policy and Management Society (2022); the Maxwell A. Pollack Award for Contributions to Healthy Aging from the Gerontological Society of America (2023); the Public Service Award from the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (2024); and the World Perio Research Award (2025).

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