Theresa Pauly

Dr. Pauly earned her PhD in Psychology from the University of British Columbia and completed postdoctoral research at the University of Zurich. Her research is funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the New Frontiers in Research Fund, and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council. She has received numerous awards, including the APA Division 20 Dissertation Award in the Psychology of Aging, the Vontobel Award for Research on Ageing, and the Swiss Government Excellence Scholarship.

Dr. Theresa Pauly, Assistant Professor and Canada Research Chair in Social Relationships, Health, and Aging, is a health and aging researcher who explores how everyday experiences, social interactions, and broader psychosocial contexts shape physical and psychological well-being across the adult lifespan. Her work investigates how social connection—or its absence—affects physiological functioning, stress, and long-term health outcomes, with a focus on supporting healthy aging in marginalized and underrepresented populations.

Dr. Pauly uses a mixed-methods approach that combines qualitative tools such as focus groups and photovoice with intensive data collection in daily life. In her studies, older adults report on everyday experiences (e.g., arguments, feelings of loneliness or support) while wearing heart rate monitors and providing saliva samples to assess stress hormone levels. She also draws on large-scale longitudinal data to examine long-term health trajectories and identify the key (social) resources that promote resilience in aging. Her goal is to inform programs and policies that foster equitable and healthy aging for diverse older adult populations.