Courtney A. Polenick, Ph.D.

Associate Professor
Faculty Associate, Aging & Biopsychosocial Innovations Program, Institute for Social Research

Biography

Courtney A. Polenick, Ph.D., is Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Faculty Associate in the Aging & Biopsychosocial Innovations Program of the Survey Research Center at the U-M Institute for Social Research. Dr. Polenick’s research focuses on later-life family relationships and caregiving in the context of complex care needs including dementia and multimorbidity. She is particularly interested in understanding mutual influences within older couples managing chronic conditions that inform targeted dyadic interventions to maintain the well-being of both partners. 

Areas of Interest

  • Complex care needs and family caregiving
  • Spousal care dyads
  • Mutual influences on mental and physical health within aging couples
  • Social factors linked to substance use and misuse in later life

Credentials

  • NIMH T32 Postdoctoral Fellowship, Department of Psychiatry, University of Michigan Medical School
  • Ph.D. in Human Development and Family Studies, Pennsylvania State University
  • M.S. in Applied Behavior Analysis, Youngstown State University
  • B.A. in Music Performance, Youngstown State University

Published Articles or Reviews