LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

 

The ICFSR 2026 Lifetime Achievement Award is being presented to Dr. John Beard for his pivotal contributions in the area of understanding the concept of intrinsic capacity and developing the Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) program

 

John Beard, MBBS, PhD

Dr. Beard’s work considers health from the perspective of functioning rather than the presence or absence of disease.

Prior to joining the Columbia Aging Center, he served as Director of Ageing and Life Course at the World Health Organization, where he led the development of a global public health framework for healthy aging—focused on enabling older people to be and do the things that matter most to them.

A central concept of this framework is intrinsic capacity—the combination of all the physical and mental capacities a person can draw on throughout life. Dr. Beard’s research has used large longitudinal studies from North America, Europe, Israel, and China to advance the measurement of intrinsic capacity and map how it varies across populations. His recent analyses show that more recently-born generations in England and China are experiencing far healthier aging trajectories than earlier cohorts.

Today, his work focuses on understanding what drives these patterns, whether similar trends are emerging in the United States and elsewhere, and how complex biological processes shape changes in functioning with age.

He continues to influence global policy on key issues, including:
– Community development to support older adults in low- and middle-income countries
– Creating more age-friendly environments
– Designing integrated health care for older populations
– Supporting older people displaced by conflict and disaster

Academic Appointments

• Irene Diamond Professor of Productive Aging (in Health Policy Management, Epidemiology and in the Robert N. Butler Columbia Aging Center) and Director of the International Longevity Center USA at CUMC