The School of Social Work’s International Committee brings together a group of faculty whose work stretches across continents and communities, united by a commitment to expanding the reach and relevance of social work worldwide. Through their research, faculty are actively shaping the future of international practice and driving meaningful global impact.

In this interview series, they share how they continue advancing their work amid tightening funding landscapes, along with their candid perspectives on why global social work remains essential to building a more just and connected world.

For Dr. Flávia Andrade, PhD Program Director and Professor at the School of Social Work, research in global social work is guided by a central question:

How do family and household contexts shape health and longevity as people age?

“Through a recent WHO project on unmet care needs in the Americas, one pattern became clear—older adults who live alone have more ADL/IADL limitations and receive less care,” Dr. Andrade explains. “That finding has pushed me to look more closely at the social environments surrounding aging. I am now examining how household living arrangements may mediate the link between inflammation and mortality and exploring how different kinship ties influence survival.”

Dr. Andrade’s focus is inspired by the understanding that aging is biological but also deeply social. “Families and households remain the primary support system worldwide,” she says. “Understanding their role is essential for developing equitable policies that improve healthy aging across the Americas.”

Research rarely follows a straight path, especially when resources are limited, and for Dr. Andrade, a major challenge has been the limited resources available for international aging research. “Because of that,” she says, “I have focused mainly on secondary data analysis—an approach I value, though I would have liked to pair it with direct intervention work.”

Another challenge is staying closely connected to the lived realities of the countries she studies. “International work requires an ongoing commitment to understanding local contexts, regional and national systems, and inequities—especially when working across many countries. Navigating these constraints has shaped my perspective in important ways: it has pushed me to be more resourceful and to build strong collaborations.

Global social work matters because it helps us understand—and address—the challenges and opportunities people face as they age in an increasingly interconnected world,” she goes on to say. “Population aging is a sign of progress, with more people living longer lives. But longevity only gains meaning if we can age with good health, adequate means, support, and dignity.”

Dr. Andrade’s recent work shows how family structures, household composition, and broader social contexts deeply influence well-being. “At the same time,” she points out, “in this interconnected world, rising migration and shifting family patterns make traditional caregiving models harder to sustain.

Understanding these changes across countries and cultures is essential for developing policies that respond to the real needs of older adults, families, and societies. Ultimately, global social work matters because it pushes us to consider systems that are more humane and just, not only for older adults, but for all of us as our societies age.”

In the field of global social work, collaboration is key. A quick look at Dr. Andrade’s CV shows partnerships with scholars across the world and across disciplines. Her own training, spanning economics, demography, sociology, public health, and public policy, has made her deeply interdisciplinary.

“I genuinely enjoy learning from others,” she says. “Over the years, I have collaborated with physicians, demographers, sociologists, epidemiologists, anthropologists, economists, psychologists, and social workers. These partnerships have allowed me to approach healthy aging from multiple angles and to better understand how biological, social, and economic factors interact within specific cultural contexts. Working across cultures and disciplines has strengthened my science, expanded the kinds of questions I can ask.”

Looking ahead, Dr. Andrade finds hope in the energy younger generations bring to global social work. “They are deeply aware of environmental challenges and more attuned to how climate change and environmental exposures shape health and well-being across the life course,” she says.

“I believe they will push us toward more creative solutions that reduce harmful exposures and protect vulnerable communities.”

This story is part of an on-going series highlighting the global social work done by the School’s International Committee.