Jason Karlawish, Professor of Medicine, Medical Ethics, and Health Policy at the University of Pennsylvania and Associate Director of the Penn Memory Center, has been named to the American Bar Association (ABA) Commission on Law and Aging.

The ABA Commission on Law and Aging is a 15-member interdisciplinary group of experts in aging and law. The mission of the Commission is to strengthen and protect the autonomy, quality of life, dignity, and legal rights of elders.

As a clinician at the Penn Memory Center Dr. Karlawish has investigated the development of Alzheimer’s disease treatments and diagnostics, decisional capacity for older adults, informed consent, and voting rights for persons with cognitive impairment and residents of long term care facilities. Dr. Karlawish brings his background in advocacy for older adults and his longtime support of mobile polling to assist the Commission in pursuing their mission through policy development, advocacy, education, and research at the national level.

"It is an honor to be named to the American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging. I look forward to working with the Commission to develop policies and promote research necessary to protect the legal rights of older adults,” Dr. Karlawish said.