Ice Cream Social Hosted by the Health and Retirement Study
July 10, 2026
In June, the Health and Retirement Study (HRS) program hosted an ice cream social with the SRC Director. Pamela Davis-Kean and Ken Langa chatted about the Health and Retirement Study, its many sister studies, and the declining rate of Alzheimer’s disease.
Awareness gap: Teens underestimate fentanyl threat
July 9, 2026
ANN ARBOR—Most U.S. eighth graders underestimate the dangers of fentanyl use, according to a new University of Michigan study. More than half, about 52%, did not believe that experimental use of fentanyl—a man-made opioid that can be more than 50 times stronger than...
Faded letters, early warnings: A new clue for aging eyes
June 26, 2026
ANN ARBOR—Struggling to read more than six lines on an eye chart with fading letters may serve as a visual “yellow light” for older adults—raising red flags that routine exams sometimes fail to detect. A new University of Michigan study, published in JAMA...
Consumer confidence rises as gas prices ease; remains below pre-Iran readings
June 26, 2026
ANN ARBOR—Consumer sentiment snapped a three-month stretch of declines with a 10% rise this month as gas prices moderated, according to the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers. Increases were seen across income, wealth and political affiliation. Expected business conditions over...
Consumer sentiment rises for the first time in three months
June 16, 2026
CNN reports that consumer sentiment may finally be recovering after falling to historic lows due to wartime price spikes.The University of Michigan’s latest survey of Americans, released Friday, showed that sentiment rose 9% to a preliminary reading of 48.9 early this month, the first...
Faculty Spotlight: Josh Ehrlich
June 15, 2026
Advancing Global Aging and Sensory Health ResearchJosh Ehrlich‘s interest in population health came long before medical and public health school. His undergraduate education was in anthropology which fundamentally challenged his views on issues like illness and well-being. Where he previously...
Most people over 50 have LGBTQ+ friends or family, but LGBTQ+ people over 50 face more aging-related challenges, poll finds
June 1, 2026
University of Michigan team explores connections between non-LGBTQ+ and LGBTQ+ people of all ages, and the health and social experiences of LGBTQ+ people over 50 People over 50 are growing older in a very different environment for LGBTQ+ people than the one they grew up in. Now, a new...
ISR welcomes the 2026 Junior Professional Researcher cohort
May 26, 2026
ANN ARBOR — Six young researchers will join the Institute for Social Research as the 2026 Junior Professional Research Researcher cohort this summer. Over the next two years, these six researchers will embed in projects throughout ISR, sharpening their research skills and building key...
Consumer confidence falls as gas prices, inflation worries climb
May 22, 2026
ANN ARBOR—Consumer sentiment fell for the third straight month as supply disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz continue to lift gasoline prices, according to the University of Michigan Surveys of Consumers. Sentiment is now just below the previous historical trough seen in June...
Mothers in silence: 1 in 5 experience perinatal mental illness, yet most go untreated
May 19, 2026
May’s Maternal Mental Health Awareness Month campaigns are actively targeting perinatal complications and fighting to close the gap in careEXPERT Q&AANN ARBOR—Twenty percent of women experience mental health conditions, such as depression or anxiety, during pregnancy and the first...
