MIRA-iGeN Study Participant Webinar 2026

We are excited to share early findings from the MIRA-iGeN study, exploring how caregiving, family relationships, social connections and other life experiences can shape mental health and well-being across generations. The webinar is presented by our study leads, Drs. Andrea Gonzalez, Parminder Raina, Vanessa De Rubeis and Divya Joshi. A question-and-answer period follows. Andrea Gonzalez is an Associate Professor in Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences at McMaster University and a member of the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging (MIRA). Her research examines how early life experiences shape health and development across generations, with a focus on identifying biological and psychosocial mechanisms of risk and resilience. Dr. Gonzalez co-leads the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging Intergenerational Study (MIRA-iGeN), a large-scale cohort study examining how family connections and shared biological, social, and environmental factors influence health and healthy aging across generations. Her work aims to inform prevention strategies that promote longer, healthier lives. Parminder Raina is a Professor in the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact at McMaster University. He specializes in the epidemiology of aging with emphasis on developing the interdisciplinary field of geroscience to understand the processes of aging from cell to society. Raina holds a Canada Research Chair in Geroscience, and the Endowed Raymond and Margaret Labarge Chair in Research and Knowledge Application for Optimal Aging. Raina became a Member of Order of Canada in 2022 for his research in aging. He is the founding Scientific Director of the McMaster Institute for Research on Aging, and The Labarge Centre for Mobility in Aging, and is the lead principal investigator of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging. Vanessa De Rubeis is a postdoctoral research fellow working under the co-supervision of Drs. Andrea Gonzalez and Parminder Raina. She completed her PhD in Health Research Methodology at McMaster University and previously attended Queen’s University for her Master of Public Health and the University of Waterloo for her Bachelor of Science. Vanessa’s research interests are primarily in life course epidemiology, where she aims to explore how factors across the life course (e.g., early life adversity, cumulative stress, physical activity) are linked to adulthood outcomes, including chronic disease prevention and healthy aging. Vanessa is also currently working as a Research Consultant with the Department of Maternal, Newborn, Adolescent Health and Aging at the World Health Organization. Divya Joshi is a Research Associate for the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence, and Impact. Divya received her Ph.D. in Health Research Methodology (Clinical Epidemiology) at McMaster University under the mentorship of Dr. Parminder Raina and Dr. Andrea Gonzalez. Divya’s overarching area of interest is in examining the associations between exposure to childhood adversity, biopsychosocial resilience, and healthy aging. Divya’s current research focuses on examining pathways linking early life adversity and poor health outcomes including multimorbidity and poor physical and cognitive functioning in an aging population.