Lisa D'Ambrosio, PhD
Research Scientist, MIT AgeLab
Media
Social
Biography
Areas of Expertise
Education
University of Michigan
Ph.D.
Political Science
Brown University
A.B.
Political Science & Applied Math
1989
Languages
- English
Media Appearances
Half of older Americans are unfulfilled. Their doctors can’t see it
Fortune online
2026-05-14
MIT AgeLab Research Scientist Lisa D’Ambrosio, Ph.D., served as co-author, lending academic rigor to findings that CenterWell will inevitably use to market its integrated care services.
MIT research informs design of new coordination service for family caregivers
MIT News online
2022-07-12
Caregiving is as much a logistical challenge as it is a physical, emotional, and financial one, says Lisa D’Ambrosio, a research scientist at the MIT AgeLab. “Seeking information on where you should go for help is a job of its own,” she says. “And it’s often one that caregivers find themselves doing alone.”
Research Papers
A Mixed Methods Investigation Examining COVID-19 Vaccine Decision-Making Among Older Vaccinators and Non-Vaccinators in the Southeastern U.S.
Journal of General Internal MedicineTaylor Patskanick Brennan, Sophia Ashebir, Alexa Balmuth, Lisa D’Ambrosio, Joseph F. Coughlin
2026-06-01
Prior research has explored factors influencing COVID-19 vaccine decision-making among older adults at the national level, but limited work has focused on this population within the Southeastern U.S. context or compared vaccinated and unvaccinated older adults within the same study. To examine COVID-19 vaccination decision-making in the U.S. South among a sample of vaccinated and unvaccinated adults aged 65 years and older. A cross-sectional, mixed methods study design was conducted from November to December 2021. Groups and interviews were stratified by whether participants were fully vaccinated or not against COVID-19. The study’s sample draws on insights from 73 participants aged 65 years and older purposively recruited from three Southeastern U.S. states with various COVID-19 vaccination statuses.
Making and keeping timeless connections: Examining friendship among the over‐85 age demographic
Journal of Elder PolicyTaylor Patskanick Brennan, Niels Wu, Sophia Ashebir, Lisa A. D'Ambrosio
2026-02-01
Renewed public awareness of the impact of social isolation on health and wellbeing, particularly among younger and older adults, has prompted greater investment in resources to promote social connection. However, little has been done to address the specific connectedness needs of the 85+ age demographic, one of the fastest growing demographics in the U.S. This exploratory, mixed‐methods study draws on cross‐sectional data collected in 2024 from a longitudinal panel of the over‐85 age demographic to examine how a sample of the 85+ perceive and experience friendship in the latest phase of life. Findings underscore the strong value the oldest‐old placed on their friendships and their longevity, the challenges of making friendships, including diminishing opportunities and openness toward new connections, the shifting composition of the friendship network in later life, and the influence gender can have on these relationships.
Everyday Ageism: Perspectives from People Aged 85+ Using Participatory PhotoVoice Methodology
Innovation in AgingTaylor Patskanick Brennan, Niels Wu, Sophia Ashebir, Lisa A. D'Ambrosio
2025-12-01
While research on ageism is increasingly well-documented, little attention has been paid to how people may personally experience ageism during specific age periods in their older adulthood. Methods leveraging approaches from participatory action research to explore how the oldest of older adults (those aged 85+) experience ageism are even more scarce. This study addresses this gap by employing mixed methods, including PhotoVoice, a qualitative method leveraging participant-taken photographs, and virtual semi-structured interviews, to investigate ageism through the perspectives of a sample of adults aged 85+. Participants (N = 30) were recruited from the MIT AgeLab 85+ Lifestyle Leaders panel, a longitudinal study of U.S. octogenarians and nonagenarians, the MIT AgeLab Volunteer Database, and snowball sampling.