Rate My Professor Kate O'Loughlin

Associate Professor Kate O'Loughlin is a health sociologist in the Faculty of Medicine and Health at the University of Sydney, serving in the Sydney School of Health Sciences. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Macquarie University and a PhD from the University of Sydney. Her professional tenure at the University of Sydney began in 1987, where she has progressed to her current role as Associate Professor. O'Loughlin is an integral member of the Ageing, Work and Health Research Unit and acts as an Associate Investigator in the ARC Centre of Excellence in Population Ageing Research (CEPAR), additionally serving as an Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Champion for CEPAR. She teaches both undergraduate and postgraduate students, with interests encompassing health policy, occupational health, and rehabilitation. Her work bridges sociology, health sciences, and ageing studies, contributing to a deeper understanding of mature age workforce dynamics.

O'Loughlin's primary research specializations center on population ageing, with a particular emphasis on the baby boomer cohort, workforce participation of older workers, retirement processes, and health and well-being in later life. Her expertise extends to topics such as organisations and the mature workforce, transitions to residential aged care, ageing in place, and specialized issues like care for older prisoners with dementia. Key publications include the edited volume 'Ageing in Australia: Challenges and Opportunities' (2017); 'Pathways to Well-Being in Later Life: Socioeconomic and Health Determinants' (2015); 'An Analysis of Factors Associated With Older Workers' Employment Withdrawal' (2018); ''I could no longer cope at home': Experiences of clients and families during the transition to residential aged care' (2022); 'Retirement and People with Intellectual Disability in the Australian Context' (2023); 'Climate change and the health of older people in Australia: A scoping review' (2018); and 'Best care options for older prisoners with dementia: a scoping review' (2024). She has participated in funded research projects addressing these themes, fostering collaborations across health and social sciences disciplines.