SFU Researchers at the Lifelong Health and Well-Being Lab Receive $20,000 to Promote Heat Resilience in Older Adults Through the Arts
The Lifelong Health and Well-Being Lab is excited to share that lab director Dr. Theresa Pauly and Dr. Atiya Mahmood, Principal Investigators of the COPE project (A Comprehensive Approach to Enhance Older Adults鈥� Preparedness for Extreme Heat), have been awarded a $20,000 grant to lead a new interdisciplinary project titled 鈥淧romoting Heat Resilience among Older Adults through Group-Based Arts.鈥�
The project is supported through two internal SFU funding programs: the 2025 Breaking Barriers Interdisciplinary Incentive Grant and the SFU Climate Innovation Seed Funds. The Breaking Barriers Interdisciplinary Incentive Grant, offered by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS), encourages interdisciplinary scholarship and aims to deepen our understanding of and create solutions for the world鈥檚 most pressing issues. It encourages research that advances SFU鈥檚 strategic priorities, including equity, sustainability, and innovation. The Climate Innovation Seed Funds are designed to catalyze community-centred climate action by supporting early-stage, high-impact research that co-creates practical solutions with local partners. These programs reflect SFU鈥檚 institutional commitment to interdisciplinary research, community engagement, and real-world impact.
This new initiative brings together Drs. Pauly and Mahmood with collaborators Dr. Nancy Olewiler, Dr. Jessica Pilarczyk, and Dr. Julia Henderson to explore how arts-based group programming can promote climate preparedness, social connection, and psychological well-being among older adults. The work builds on the COPE project鈥檚 emphasis on equity-driven, community-engaged research to support healthy aging in a changing climate.
This project is expected to generate both academic and public-facing outcomes, including arts-based workshops, performances, and interdisciplinary publications. The project exemplifies the Lab鈥檚 mission to support inclusive, engaged, and resilient aging through collaborative and community-rooted research.