Introduction to Developmental Psychology

Nancy A. Pachana serves as Professor of Clinical Geropsychology in the School of Psychology at The University of Queensland, where she has established herself as an international authority on geriatric mental health. After completing her AB from Princeton University and PhD from Case Western Reserve University, followed by postdoctoral fellowships at UCLA's Neuropsychiatric Institute and the Palo Alto Veterans Medical Center, she has built an impressive career focusing on aging and mental health. As co-director of the UQ Ageing Mind Initiative and Program Lead of the Age Friendly University Initiative, she has published over 350 peer-reviewed articles and secured more than $25 million in competitive research funding. Her most significant contribution includes co-developing the Geriatric Anxiety Inventory, now translated into over two dozen languages and used globally. Her expertise spans late-life anxiety disorders, psychological interventions for Parkinson's Disease, nursing home interventions, assistance animals in later life, and healthy aging strategies. Pachana's academic excellence has been recognized through numerous honors, including Fellowship in the Academy of Social Sciences in Australia (2014), the Australian Davos Connection Future Summit Leadership Award, and the M. Powell Lawton Lifetime Achievement Award (2020) from the American Psychological Association's Society of Clinical Geropsychology. Beyond her research, she maintains an active role in shaping policy as a member of various international committees, including the WHO Consortium on Metrics and Evidence for Healthy Ageing and the American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry Taskforce on Brain Health.