Professor Catherine Hennessy

Professor of Ageing

Faculty of Social Sciences Colin Bell Building, University of Stirling, Stirling, FK9 4LA

Professor Catherine Hennessy

Contact details

About me

Catherine Hennessy is a social gerontologist and Professor of Ageing at the University of Stirling where she is engaged in promoting interdisciplinary research on ageing and older people. She holds degrees in anthropology (BA, MA) and public health (MPH, DrPH) and received her doctorate from the University of California at Berkeley in 1991. She is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America. She has researched older people’s health, well-being and care provision for over 30 years, both in the United States and the United Kingdom. From 1991-2001 she carried out research in public health gerontology at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia. Relocating to the United Kingdom in 2001, from 2001-2004 she was Deputy Director of two UK Research Council-funded initiatives, the Growing Older Programme and the UK National Collaboration on Ageing Research. From 2005-2015 she was Professor of Public Health and Ageing at Plymouth University.  At the University of Stirling she directs the MSc Gerontology and Global Ageing programme.

My research interests focus on healthy ageing, care delivery to older adults, rural ageing, family caregiving, civic engagement and community participation in later life, dementia, and interdisciplinary science.

Research projects (2)

GOALDen Memories
PI: Professor Richard Haynes
Funded by: Arts and Humanities Research Council
–

GOALD: Connectivity and Digital Design for Health and Well-being Across Generations, Places and Spaces
PI: Professor Catherine Hennessy
Funded by: Economic and Social Research Council
–

Outputs (45)

Preprint

Toolkits for developing digital platforms to help older people stay physically or socially active produced through codesign workshops: real-world impact assessment through 10 case studies. (Preprint)

Jones RB, Cooper L, Bradwell H, Shore CB, Tomaz SA, Ritchie J, Whittaker AC, Haynes R, Hennessy C & GOALD project (2025) Toolkits for developing digital platforms to help older people stay physically or socially active produced through codesign workshops: real-world impact assessment through 10 case studies. (Preprint). JMIR Preprints. https://doi.org/10.2196/preprints.64222

Book Chapter

A lifecourse approach to human development and ageing: impact of war

Hennessy C & Douglas E (2024) A lifecourse approach to human development and ageing: impact of war. In: Bonner A (ed.) Social Determinants of Health in Europe: Direct and Indirect Consequences of War. Social Determinants of Health. Bristol: The Policy Press. https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/social-determinants-of-health-in-europe

Conference Paper (published)

Remote Scoping of an Audio-Reminiscence Tool for Care Home Residents

Bradwell HL, Jones RB, Cooper L, Edwards KJ, Tomaz S, Baxter R, Baines R, Page T, Chatterjee A, Whittaker AC, Haynes R & Hennessy C (2024) Remote Scoping of an Audio-Reminiscence Tool for Care Home Residents. In: volume 2024. 2024 IEEE Symposium on Computers and Communications (ISCC), Paris, France, 26.06.2024-29.06.2024. IEEE. https://doi.org/10.1109/iscc61673.2024.10733572

Article

Generations Active Together: An Example of Using Physical Activity Promotion and Digital Technology to Bring Together Adolescents and Older People in Stirling, Scotland

Tomaz SA, Taylor L, Ryde GC, Bradwell HL, Cooper L, Coffee P, Mannion G, Hennessy C, Haynes R, Whittaker AC & GOALD Project (2024) Generations Active Together: An Example of Using Physical Activity Promotion and Digital Technology to Bring Together Adolescents and Older People in Stirling, Scotland. Journal of Intergenerational Relationships. https://doi.org/10.1080/15350770.2024.2322442

Article

Staff perceptions towards virtual reality-motivated treadmill exercise for care home residents: a qualitative feedback study with key stakeholders and follow-up interview with technology developer

Bradwell pL, Cooper L, Edwards KJ, Baxter R, Tomaz SA, Ritchie J, Gaudl S, Veliz-Reyes A, Ryde GC, Križaj T, Warren A, Chatterjee A, Haynes R, Hennessy CH & Whittaker AC (2023) Staff perceptions towards virtual reality-motivated treadmill exercise for care home residents: a qualitative feedback study with key stakeholders and follow-up interview with technology developer. BMJ Open, 13 (11), Art. No.: e073307. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjopen-2023-073307

Article

Genetic counselling as a route to enhanced autonomy: using a sequential mixed methods research approach to develop a theory regarding presymptomatic genetic testing for young adults at risk of inherited cancer syndromes

Godino L, Turchetti D, Jackson L, Hennessy C & Skirton H (2021) Genetic counselling as a route to enhanced autonomy: using a sequential mixed methods research approach to develop a theory regarding presymptomatic genetic testing for young adults at risk of inherited cancer syndromes. Journal of Community Genetics, 12 (4), pp. 685-691. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12687-021-00548-x

Book Chapter

Connectivity of older people in rural areas

Hennessy C & Means R (2018) Connectivity of older people in rural areas. In: Walker A (ed.) The New Dynamics of Ageing Vol. 1. Bristol: Policy Press, pp. 147 - 166.

Book Chapter

Participation and social connectivity

Vera-Sanso P, Barrientos A, Damodaran L, Gilhooly K, Goulding A, Hennessy C, Means R, Murray M, Newman A, Olphert W, Sandhu J, Tew P, Thompson JL, Victor CR & Walford N (2014) Participation and social connectivity. In: Walker A (ed.) New Science of Ageing. Bristol: Policy Press, University of Bristol, pp. 181-208. https://policypress.co.uk/the-new-science-of-ageing

Book Chapter

Conceptualising rural connectivities in later life

Curry N, Burholt V & Hennessy C (2014) Conceptualising rural connectivities in later life. In: Hennessy C, Means R & Burholt V (eds.) Countryside Connections: Older People, Community and Place in Rural Britain. Bristol: Policy Press, University of Bristol, pp. 31-62. https://policypress.co.uk/countryside-connections; https://doi.org/10.1332/policypress/9781447310303.003.0002

Book Chapter

Countryside connections in later life: setting the scene

Hennessy C, Means R & Burholt V (2014) Countryside connections in later life: setting the scene. In: Hennessy C, Means R & Burholt V (eds.) Countryside Connections: Older People, Community and Place in Rural Britain. Bristol: Policy Press, University of Bristol, pp. 1-30. https://policypress.co.uk/countryside-connections; https://doi.org/10.1332/policypress/9781447310303.001.0001

Book Chapter

Towards connectivity in a Grey and Pleasant land?

Means R, Burholt V & Hennessy C (2014) Towards connectivity in a Grey and Pleasant land?. In: Hennessy C, Means R & Burholt V (eds.) Countryside Connections: Older People, Community and Place in Rural Britain. Bristol: Policy Press, University of Bristol, pp. 245-276. https://policypress.co.uk/countryside-connections; https://doi.org/10.1332/policypress/9781447310303.001.0001

Book Chapter

Rural connectivity and older people’s leisure participation

Hennessy C, Staelens Y, Lankshear G, Phippen A, Silk A & Zahra D (2014) Rural connectivity and older people’s leisure participation. In: Hennessy C, Means R & Burholt V (eds.) Countryside Connections: Older People, Community and Place in Rural Britain. Bristol: Policy Press, University of Bristol, pp. 63-94. https://policypress.co.uk/countryside-connections; https://doi.org/10.1332/policypress/9781447310303.001.0001

Article

A systematic review of the impact of foreign postings on accompanying spouses of military personnel

Blakely G, Hennessy C, Chung MC & Skirton H (2012) A systematic review of the impact of foreign postings on accompanying spouses of military personnel. Nursing and Health Sciences, 14 (1), pp. 121-132. https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84857195752&doi=10.1111%2fj.1442-2018.2011.00659.x&partnerID=40&md5=88853e6038ac4ef80a9379b3afa834c5; https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1442-2018.2011.00659.x

Article

Factors used in the detection of elder financial abuse: A judgement and decision-making study of social workers and their managers

Davies M, Harries P, Cairns D, Stanley D, Gilhooly M, Gilhooly K, Notley E, Gilbert A, Penhale B & Hennessy C (2011) Factors used in the detection of elder financial abuse: A judgement and decision-making study of social workers and their managers. International Social Work, 54 (3), pp. 404-420. https://doi.org/10.1177/0020872810396256

Article

The public health perspective in health promotion and disability prevention for older adults: The role of the centers for disease control and prevention

Hennessy C, Buchner DM, Jordan JM, Leveille SG, Shefer AM & Stevens JA (2001) The public health perspective in health promotion and disability prevention for older adults: The role of the centers for disease control and prevention. Journal of Rural Health, 17 (4), pp. 364-369. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-0361.2001.tb00290.x

Article

Measuring health-related quality of life for public health surveillance

Hennessy C, Zack MM, Moriarty D, Scherr PA & Brackbill R (1994) Measuring health-related quality of life for public health surveillance. Public Health Reports, 109 (5), pp. 665-672. https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-0028153004&partnerID=40&md5=86018c20afab630c93b58f6058bdb26f

Article

Restraints in long term care

Hennessy C, Archea C, McNeely E, Martino-Saltzman D, Whittington F & Myers D (1993) Restraints in long term care. Physical and Occupational Therapy in Geriatrics, 11 (2), pp. 3-23. https://doi.org/10.1080/J148v11n02_02

Teaching

I lead the MSc Gerontology and Global Ageing programme on which I teach the following modules: Interdisciplinary Perspectives on Ageing (GAPG001), A Lifecourse Approach to Healthy Ageing (GAPG005), Multimorbidity and the Older Person (GAPG013).

Research programmes

Research centres/groups