Faculty

Leonard W. Poon, Ph.D. Professor Life-Span Developmental Psychology Program Professor, Health Administration, Biostatics, and Epidemiology, College of Public Health Director, UGA Institute of Gerontology Ph.D., University of Denver, 1972 Postdoctoral Fellowship, Duke University Medical School Office: Institute of Gerontology, College of Public Health, 255 E. Hancock Avenue, Athens GA 30602-5775 Ph: (706) 425-3222 Fax: (706) 425-3221 Email: lpoon@geron.uga.edu

Research Interests

Dr. Poon has research programs which are directed towards several major issues in the area of cognitive aging. His research includes every-day memory processes in the elderly, cognition and speed of behavior in older adults, clinical memory assessment, cognition in and survivorship of the oldest-old, as well as specific changes that occur in cognitive systems with Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Poon is past president of the Division of Adult Development and Aging of the American Psychological Association and past chair of the Behavioral and Social Science Section of the Gerontological Society of America. He was a member of NIH's Human Development and Aging Study Section and has chaired NIMH's Clinical Centers and Special Review Committee. His research is funded by NIA, NIMH, and the AARP Andrus Foundation.

Selected Publications (1980 - present)

A. Assessment of Older Adults.

Poon, L. W., Gurland, B., Eisdorfer, C., Crook, T., Thompson, L. W. , Kaszniak, A., & Davis, K. (Eds.). (1986). Handbook for clinical memory assessment of older adults. Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.

Poon, L. W., Fozard, J. L. , Cermak, L. S. , Arenberg, D., &Thompson, L. W. (Eds.). (1980). New directions in memory and aging: Proceedings of the George A Talland Memorial Conference. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Assoc.

Poon, L. W., Rubin, D., & Wilson, B. (Eds.). (1989). Everyday cognition in adulthood and late life. NY: Cambridge University Press.

Erickson, R. C., Poon, L. W., & Walsh-Sweeney, L. (1980). Clinical memory testing of the elderly. In L. W. Poon, J. L. Fozard, L. S. Cermak, D. Arenberg, & L. W. Thompson (Eds.), New directions in memory and aging: Proceedings of the George A Talland Memorial Conference (pp. 379-402). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Assoc.

Poon, L. W.(1983). Application of information processing technology in psychological assessment. In T. Crook, S. Ferris & R. Bartus (Eds.), Assessment in geriatric psychopharmacology (pp. 187-201). New Canaan, CT: Mark Powly Associates.

Poon, L. W. (1985). Differences in human memory with aging: Nature, causes and clinical implications. In J.E. Birren & K.W. Shaie (Eds.), Handbook of the psychology of aging (pp. 427-455). NY: Van Nostrand Reinhold.

Poon, L. W. (1989). Psychological and cognitive factors in psychogeriatric memory assessment. In M. Bergener and B. Reisberg (Eds.), Diagnosis and treatment of senile dementia (pp. 129-141). Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag.

B. Intervention with Older Adults.

Poon, L. W., Walsh-Sweeney, L., & Fozard, J. L. (1980). Memory skill training for the elderly: Salient issues on the use of imagery mnemonics. In L. W. Poon, J. L. Fozard, L. S. Cermak, D. Arenberg, & L. W. Thompson, (Eds.), New directions in memory and aging: Proceedings of the George A Talland Memorial Conference (pp. 461-484). Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Assoc.

Poon, L. W. (1984). Memory training for older adults. In J. Abrahams, & V. Crooks (Eds.), Geriatric mental health: A clinician's guide (pp. 135-151). NY: Grune & Stratton.

Poon, L. W. (1989). The translation of laboratory findings in cognitive aging to clinical application. In GC Gilmore, P Whitehouse & M Wykle (Eds.), Memory, aging, and dementia: Theory, assessment, and treatment (pp. 99-111). NY: Springer Publishing Company.

Poon, L. W., Fozard, J. L., & Treat, N. J. (1978). From clinical and research findings to intervention programs. Experimental Aging Research, 4, 235-254.

C. Functioning Among Frail Elders.

Poon, L. W. (Ed.). (1992). The Georgia Centenarian Study [Special issue]. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 34(1).

Hagberg, B., Alfredson, B.B., Poon, L.W., & Homma, A. (2001) Cognitive functioning in centenarians: A coordinated analysis of results from three countries. Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences, Vol. 56B, 3, pg. 141-151.

Martin, P., Poon, L. W., Kim, E, & Johnson, M. A. (1996). Social and psychological resources in the oldest old. Experimental Aging Research, 22, 121-139.

Poon, L. W., Clayton, G. M., Martin, P., Johnson, M. A., Courtenay, B. C, Sweaney, A., Merriam, S. B., Pless, B. S., & Thielman, S. B. (1992). The Georgia Centenarian Study. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 34(1), 1-18.

Poon, L. W., Martin, P., Clayton, G. M., Messner, S., & Noble, C. A. (1992). The influences of cognitive resources on adaptation and old age. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 34(1), 31-46.

Poon, L. W. (1992). Ode to three wise men. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 34(1), 87-89.

Poon, L. W. (1992). Toward an understanding of cognitive function in geriatric depression. [Special Research Award Issue]. International Psychogeriatrics, 4(2), 241-266.

Martin, P., Poon, L. W., Kim, E, & Johnson, M. A. (1996). Social and psychological resources in the oldest old. Experimental Aging Research, 22, 121-139.

Martin, P., Rott, C., Poon, L. W., Courtenay, B., & Lehr, U. (2001). A molecular view of coping behavior in older adults. J Aging Health, 13(1), 72-91.

Loeb, S.J, Penrod, J., Falkenstern, S., Gueldner, S.H., & Poon, L.W. (2003) Supporting older adults living with multiple chronic conditions. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 25(1), 8-29.

Jang, Y., Poon, L.W., & Martin, P. (2004) Individual Differences in the Effects of Disease and Disability on Depressive Symptoms: The Role of Age and Subjective Health. International Journal of Aging and Human Development, 59, 125-137.

Falkenstern, S., Loeb, S., Gueldner, S., Penrod, J., & Poon, L. (2005). Health Care Providers’ Perspectives: Estimating the Impact of Chronicity, Journal of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, 17, 5, 194-199.

D. Sampling Issues With Older Populations.

Poon, L. W., Krauss, I., & Bowles, N. L. (1984). On subject selection in cognitive aging research. Experimental Aging Research, 10, 43-49.

Selected Professional Activities

Elected Fellow of:

• American Psychological Association (Divisions 1,3,20),

• American Psychological Society

• Gerontological Society of America

• Association of Gerontology in Higher Education

> Senior Fulbright Research Scholar (Sweden)

> Senior Visiting Research Scientist (Japan)

> Member of Jury, the Ipsen Longevity Prize (Paris)

> Director, UGA Institute of Gerontology

> Chair, UGA Faculty of Gerontology

Courses Regularly Taught

PSYC 6700 or GRNT 6700: Psychology of Aging