Anna Urbaniak is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at Jagiellonian University and a researcher at the Center for Evaluation and Public Policy Analysis. She is a sociologist and gerontologist whose work focuses on aging, participatory research, and social policy. Her interdisciplinary research explores transitions in older age and how inclusive research practices can inform policies that promote equity and justice in aging societies.
Anna leads collaborative projects at the intersection of social gerontology and public policy and is the Chair of the European COST Action PAAR-net (CA22167; https://www.cost.eu/actions/CA22167/), an international research network of over 300 scholars from 40 countries dedicated to participatory approaches with older adults. She is also the co-editor of the Routledge International Handbook of Participatory Approaches in Ageing Research (2024)(https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/9781032185019).
Prior to her current role, Anna held research positions at the University of Galway, University of Vienna, and Cracow University of Economics. Currently she lives in Kraków, Poland.