Sophie Okolo, MPH

As a writer and science journalist, I am passionate about aging and how it is communicated through the media. I have written for major publications like Salon and Inverse, spanning various topics like technology, loneliness, brain health, and longevity disparities. I also am a healthcare contributor to PBS Next Avenue, Forbes, and Senior Living Foresight. My desire to reframe the discussion about aging and older adults led me to start Global Health Aging, an award-nominated resource and creative consultancy producing expert insights, research, and innovative solutions to longevity and healthy aging. I have an MPH in Community Health Science and Practice, Graduate Certificate in Gerontology, and BS in Bioinformatics with Research Honors.

My journey to science writing and journalism has taken me from the lab doing scientific research to organizations promoting healthy aging. I have created a scout report about cell phones and older adults for Wirecutter, published research on millennial caregivers for the Center for Healthcare Innovation, and authored a chapter in Uncharted: How Scientists Navigate Their Own Health, Research, and Experiences of Bias, an upcoming book under production with Columbia University Press. For my communication and advocacy efforts, I was named a TEDMED Research Scholar, Columbia University Age Boom Academy Fellow, and profiled in a cover story titled Female Science Communicators Spread The Word by Diversity in Action.

I have been invited as speaker at conferences and workshops like Western Science Center, Reclaiming STEM, and Fred Hutch during National Minority Health Month. I also serve as an advisor to award-winning humanKINDER that shines light on untold stories of human resilience, ideas, and solutions for systems change. Early in my career, I performed biomedical research in academia and healthcare, including National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates and the City of Hope Beckman Research Institute Bioinformatics Core. I have been elected to the Sigma Xi Scientific Research Honor Society and the New York Academy of Medicine because of my contributions to the field. Let’s connect to advance aging narratives!

Recipes of Hope

Part cookbook and part travel memoir, Recipes of HOPE tells the story of one family’s 16,000-mile journey around Europe, cooking in The Welcome Tent, an ex-army catering tent re-purposed for peace. Every dish tells a story of history, culture, and family while promoting a means of recovery and understanding of belonging in a troubled society. Recipes of HOPE celebrates the universal language of food, focusing on the recipes, stories, hopes, and dreams of refugees and migrants during the 2015 Calais crisis.

The Age Boom Academy is a forum that educates journalists about the complex health, social, and economic issues facing our aging population. A joint program of Columbia Journalism School and Columbia Aging Center, the main goal is to engage and train working media members in current science and policies related to longevity. The 2021 Age Boom Academy covered the causes and solutions of loneliness in aging. Sophie wrote an article for Forbes titled “Is there Hope For Our Loneliness Post Covid-19?“

Millennials and Dementia Caregivers

With the prevalence of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) expected to impact 16 million persons by 2050, younger generations will increasingly assume caregiving responsibilities. The report titled Social and Financial Costs of Millennial Dementia Caregivers explored the economic impact of the shift to millennial caregivers and a higher rate of AD in minority groups. It also involves four clear calls to action and concludes with discussion strategies at the organizational- and system levels to support millennial caregivers.

Interviews With Longevity Innovators

In a series of interviews, 18 visionaries reveal exciting trends and insights regarding healthy longevity, sharing their vision for a better future. Sophie interviewed visionaries like Nobel laureate Elizabeth Blackburn, actor Alan Alda, businesswoman Arianna Huffington, and author Deepak Chopra. The series was published in collaboration with Forbes and Next Avenue and highlights discoveries in biomedical, behavioral, and psychosocial science and strategies to promote prevention and wellness for older adults today.