Helping you live with more joy — at every age.
Dr. Kerry Burnight is one of the world's leading gerontologists and the NY Times bestselling author of Joyspan. She has spent 25+ years studying what enables you to thrive at every stage of your life.
ABOUT DR. KERRY
I sit with people at the end of their lives.
They don’t say they wish they'd lived longer; they say they wish they'd lived more fully: more connected, more authentic, with more gratitude and joy. This has informed the research I've spent my career pursuing — longevity isn't only about the length of your life; it's about the quality of your life.
My name is Dr. Kerry Burnight. Known to many as “America's Gerontologist,” I served for 18 years as a professor of geriatric medicine and gerontology at the UC Irvine School of Medicine and now teach at the University of Chicago. My research reframes how we view our long lives: not as a problem to be solved by stopping aging, but as a life to build with intention. I unpack this in my New York Times bestselling book, Joyspan: The Art and Science of Thriving in Life's Second Half. I’ve had the honor of being recognized as one of the TIME 100 Most Influential Health Innovators, and I serve as the longevity health advisor at Forbes Health. My work has been featured in The New York Times, CBS Mornings, Oprah Daily, The Guardian, and BBC News.
Some of my research has been on people closest to me, like my own mother, who is now 97 and who radically changed her approach to aging in order to regain her joyspan.
I’m on a mission to help people fall in love with the rest of their lives, so that people live longer, better.
FEATURED ON
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER: JOYSPAN
The book that redefines how long — and how well — you live.
I coined the term, joyspan — a take on lifespan and healthspan — to bring to light the quality of your long life. What’s the point of a long, healthy life if you aren’t enjoying it? The idea that you have to be, or look, or feel “young” in order ot fully participate in life is inaccurate and deeply detrimental to your physical health and psychological well-being. The research groups it into 4 areas: grow, connect, adapt, and give. They are all verbs because they all take effort. A good long life isn’t just chance, and it isn’t just genes. It’s these small, everyday habits and outlooks we adopt. The question is not “how not to age”. The question is “how to age with vitality, with connection, with meaning, and with gusto.
Joyspan: The Art and Science of Thriving in Life's Second Half is the framework of research, stories, and practical shifts that make the difference.
If you're ready to start measuring your life differently, this is where to start.
Work With Me
I bring science-backed frameworks into the conversation about aging, longevity, and joy, and am excited to work with organizations, brands, or media outlets who are aligned.
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Speaking
It’s important that, in every room I walk into, I present my research in a way people can understand and relate to. My topics range from “The Science of Joyspan” to “The Realities of Caring for Aging Parents.” From healthcare systems to Fortune 500 stages, I meet every audience where they are and offer them a framework they can use immediately - something that changes how they think, not just a feel-good moment that lasts as long as an Instagram story.
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Corporate Workshops
With research-backed frameworks and solutions that anyone can follow, I help people find joy everywhere, including at their place of work. With hands-on sessions for teams and leadership groups navigating an aging workforce, implementing my learnings with employees who are caregivers, and ultimately helping craft a culture that makes room for more joy and less burnout.
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Brand Partnerships
My goal is helping people live fuller, more joyful lives as they age. If that's your brand’s goal too, let's talk about what that could look like.
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Podcasts
I bridge the gap between science and real stories so I can meet people where they are and bring them somewhere new, with more information and joy. I look forward to joining conversations covering health, aging, longevity, caregiving, and purpose.
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Advising
As a Scientist with decades of clinical research and lived experience, I’m excited to be a thought partner, offering ongoing strategic counsel to organizations building products, programs, or events focused on aging and longevity.
Get in Touch
Have an event, a partnership, a story, or an idea? Tell me more about it!