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The Health, Ageing and Health Systems (H2A) research group advances understanding of the drivers of health across the life course and the factors that underpin health system performance.
Population health and the systems that deliver healthcare are being reshaped by ageing and rapidly changing global conditions, including climate change, artificial intelligence, pandemic risk, and economic insecurity. The Health, Ageing and Health Systems (H2A) research group advances understanding of the drivers of health across the life course and the factors that underpin health system performance. Our work informs policies to improve health outcomes and health equity and strengthen health system performance and resilience.
H2A situates populations and health systems within their social and environmental contexts, with a particular focus on how population heterogeneity and local conditions shape health outcomes over the life course. We also use projections and systems science approaches to explore how health and health systems may evolve under future scenarios. Adopting a global perspective, our research spans Europe and a range of low- and middle-income countries.
H2A is an interdisciplinary group encompassing health economics, demography, health systems, and psychology.
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Research on Health at IIASA
We act as a central hub within IIASA, coordinating, supporting and connecting researchers working on health, ageing, and health systems. Here is an overview of some of the research on health happening across IIASA programs.
Publications
Joshi, M., Weber, D. , & Goujon, A. (2026). Transitions in and out of Loneliness During the COVID‐19 Pandemic: A Latent Class Analysis of Older Adults in England. Sociology of Health & Illness 48 (1) e70138. 10.1111/1467-9566.70138.
Arnhold, T., Szenkurök, V., & Weber, D. (2025). Mapping inequalities in the health of older adults around the world: Heterogeneities in cognitive and physical functioning. Vienna Yearbook of Population Research 23 10.1553/p-mcm9-5b3b.
Chama-Chiliba, C.M., Sachingongu, N., Cassidy, R., Binyaruka, P., Chansa, C., Semwanga, A.R., & Borghi, J. (2025). Using causal loop diagrams to explore the maternal and child health system response to payment for performance in Zambia, and it’s generalisability across settings. SSM - Health Systems 5 e100082. 10.1016/j.ssmhs.2025.100082.
Binyaruka, P. & Borghi, J. (2025). Time to fully account for cost in monitoring financial protection and universal health coverage in low- and middle-income settings. Health Policy and Planning czaf085. 10.1093/heapol/czaf085.
Cabaraban, M.K.S.I., Bordone, V., & Weber, D. (2025). Resource or crisis? Cognitive functioning after widowhood and why paid work status matters. The Journals of Gerontology, Series B: Psychological Sciences and Social Sciences 81 (1) gbaf234. 10.1093/geronb/gbaf234.
Models, tools, datasets
The World Aging Data Explorer (WADE)
Wittgenstein Centre Human Capital Data & Graphic Explorer Version 3.0 (WCDE)
Projects
Cognitive health in aging society – The role of context for cognitive functioning and related policy implications in Europe (CHIAS)
Building resilience to floods and heat in the maternal and child health system in Brazil and Zambia (REACH)
Staff
Romain Clercq-Roques
Guest Research Scholar (H2A)
Thomas Arnhold
Researcher (H2A)
Gladys Shamirian
Administrative Assistant for Research Program (POPJUS, MDM, H2A, MIG, EQU)
Dalkhat Ediev
Senior Research Scholar (MDM, H2A)
News
16 June 2026
Peking University and IIASA advance plans for a new Centre on Global Change and Health
On 28 May, Peking University (PKU) and IIASA held a joint online seminar to discuss health research under global change and to review the progress, priorities, and coordination arrangements for a proposed Centre on Global Change and Health.
09 June 2026
Life after work: Why social connections matter
Social networks may help protect cognitive functioning in later life, particularly among older adults who are no longer working, according to a new IIASA-led study. Drawing on data from 27 European countries, the researchers found that social connections can help compensate for the loss of mentally stimulating interactions linked to work, with different types of relationships benefiting women and men.
18 December 2025
Measuring ageing beyond chronological age: Insights from consumer behaviour research
A new study reviews how ageing is measured in consumer behaviour research, highlighting the continued dominance of chronological age and calling for stronger interdisciplinary approaches drawing on gerontology and demography.
Events
Bologna, Italy
European Population Conference 2026
Vienna, Austria
Ninth ATHEA Conference
Focus
Annual Report 2025: Population and Just Societies Program Highlights
How can societies adapt to profound demographic, environmental, and social change while ensuring that no one is left behind? In 2025, the Population and Just Societies Program generated new evidence on aging, migration, labor markets, climate vulnerability, and the policies needed to build more inclusive and resilient societies.
22 December 2025
Building resilience to floods and heatwaves for maternal and child healthcare
What happens to essential maternal and child healthcare when floods or extreme heat make it harder for families to reach clinics and for health workers to deliver services? IIASA Health, Aging, and Health Systems Research Group Leader, Josephine Borghi, shares perspectives from the REACH project, which is exploring emerging risks and promising strategies to build more climate-resilient health systems.