Ken Langa, PhD

Ken Langa, MD, PhD, is an Associate Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, a Research Investigator in the Ann Arbor Veterans Affairs HSR&D Center, a Faculty Associate at the Institute for Social Research, and Associate Director of the Institute of Gerontology, at the University of Michigan. Dr. Langa’s research focuses on the epidemiology and costs of chronic disease in older adults, with an emphasis on Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. He has published widely on the prevalence and costs of disabilities related to cognitive impairment, stroke, diabetes, depression, and geriatric conditions. He is currently focusing on identifying trends over the last 15 years in the prevalence of cognitive impairment in the United States and England, using longitudinal data from the Health and Retirement Study, the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing, and the Cognitive Function and Ageing Study.

Recent Publications:

What is perfect health to an 85 year-old? Evidence for scale recalibration in subjective health ratings.
Ubel PA, Jankovic A, Smith DM, Langa K, Fagerlin A. Medical Care. 43:1054-1057, 2005.

Health, wealth, and happiness: Financial resources buffer subjective well-being after the onset of a disability.
Smith DM, Langa K, Kabeto MU, Ubel PA. Psychological Science. 16:663-666, 2005.