The Humboldt Structure’s Bessel Prize becomes part of the German federal government’s “1,000 Heads” program, which intends to draw in leading international researchers to Germany on a long-lasting basis. One of up to 20 prizes awarded annually went to the London-based scientist in 2026. Dr. Giorgio Di Gessa performs research study at the crossway of social, health, and life course research studies utilizing quantitative methods. He investigates how social and demographic aspects affect healthy aging, using comprehensive longitudinal information and statistical methods. His research study concentrates on the question of how social activities– such as paid work, volunteer work, or informal caregiving– are related to physical and psychological health in middle and older age. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Di Gessa likewise investigated how measures to include the infection have actually affected psychological health, social situations, and access to healthcare, particularly among older adults.
During his see to TU Dortmund University, he is collaborating with Prof. Martina Brandt and her group at the Chair of Social Structure and Sociology of Aging Societies on comparative, policy-oriented research on aging societies, family relationships, and caregiving. In specific, he takes a look at how caregiving obligations over the life course affect social inequalities, health, and employment trajectories. In his lecture “Caregiving, Inequalities, and Health: Evidence From England,” which will happen on 29 April 2026 at 4:15 p.m. at Emil-Figge-Straße 50, he will present existing findings on the impacts of caregiving on quality of life. His analyses are based on data from the long-lasting research study “English Longitudinal Research Study of Ageing.” He will also provide an outlook on scheduled research into caregiving histories and their long-lasting consequences for work and health in older age.
About the Social Science Colloquium