Alena Forbes, PhD
Human Resilience Across the Lifespan
Researcher in Human Resilience, Healthy Aging & Clinical Nutrition
"I study how older women reconstruct resilience after major life disruptions — and how those findings can inform healthcare, policy, and community practice."
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assets/headshot.jpg)Research interests
Featured research
Doctoral dissertation
women
A grounded-theory study
[Dissertation title]
PhD, Integrative and Functional Nutrition (Mind-Body Medicine) — Saybrook University
A qualitative, grounded-theory study of how older women rebuild resilience following significant life disruption, and what those processes mean for healthcare, policy, and community practice. (Add a 2–3 sentence plain-language summary and key findings here.)
Current research
Resilience in women 65+
An active study of resilience in women aged 65 and older. Results expected summer 2026.
Explore research →Recent publications
Papers & the dissertation
Peer-reviewed work, the dissertation, and a downloadable CV.
View publications →Latest writing
From the blog
Notes on resilience, healthy aging, nutrition science, and research methods.
Read articles →Speaking
Talks & presentations
Conference talks, invited lectures, and community presentations.
See engagements →About
A clinician-scientist studying how people endure and adapt
Alena Forbes is a clinical nutrition scientist and qualitative researcher whose work centers on human resilience and healthy aging — particularly how older women reconstruct their lives after disruption. Drawing on grounded theory and over two decades in clinical and biomedical settings, her research connects lived experience to nutrition, lifestyle medicine, and the systems that shape later life.