José Javier Yanguas Lezáun

PhD in Biological Psychology and Health (Universidad Autónoma Madrid, 2003) and MA in Clinical Neuropsychology (Universidad Autónoma Barcelona, 2004). From 1989 to 1999 Javier worked at the Gipuzkoa Provincial Council Home for the Elderly in Eibar, Basque Country, where he designed and launched projects with and for the elderly and their families. He has held the position of R&D Director at the Fundación Matia since 1998 and is currently Director of the Fundación Ingema. He continues to lead research projects on the elderly and disabilities that affect all ages is the principal researcher on several projects, and he is also the author or co-author of 70 articles and book chapters in his speciality.

In 2004, Javier was awarded the Infanta Cristina Award for Research into Aging and Disability, given by the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs. In 2005, was the winner of the Caja Madrid Research prize for the Donostia Longitudinal Study of Alzheimer’s Disease: effectiveness of non-pharmacological therapies.

Javier currently represents the Spanish Geriatric and Gerontological Society at the IAG-International Association of Gerontology and is Vice-Chairman of the Zahartzaroa-Basque Geriatric and Gerontological Society. He co-invented a patented system for analysing a person’s activity which automatically detects falls. He has lectured on degree courses including psychology, medicine, chemistry and pharmacy. He is a supervisor of doctoral theses and has actively participated and collaborated in various European networks such as TTS (Teaching, Training and Support) and Saumont.

Javier sits on the Editorial Committees of the Spanish Journal of Geriatrics and Gerontology, and of the Journal of Psycho-social Intervention. Moreover, he has participated in several joint-international initiatives about to the elderly and the disabled.