 "Photo: Kirsten McLaughlin")
Kirsten McLaughlin is a professional conversation starter. As a research assistant for the Boston University Medical Center's Long Life and Supercentenarian study, swapping stories with men and women over 100 years old is just one part of her job.
One out of 7 million people live to become a supercentenarian, someone who lives 110 years or longer, according to the study's website. McLaughlin and her coworkers study exceptional longevity in one of the largest studies of its kind.
"The population of geriatrics is increasing, and people are living longer," she said. "We are interested in why and what traits are common for people living to an older age."
She said she has worked with a few centenarians -- those who live past 100 -- in the Boston area, and the job often involves traveling to meet study subjects and researching medical histories and daily living activities, as well as looking into cognitive functions to see how the exceptionally elderly escape diseases such as Alzheimer's.
McLaughlin said her job involves finding centarians and calling them to see if they are interested in being part of the study and then traveling across the country to meet with them and learn their stories.
As she studies the extremely elderly, McLaughlin said she has come across some who still hold occupations, such as the 102-year-old man who worked on Wall Street.
"Family members like to give their ideas for how they have lived so long," McLaughlin said. "I get to hear their stories and theories."
The psychology major said this is her first job since her 2006 graduation from Gordon College and feels fortunate to have a job that involves such a learning experience.
BU Director of Career Services Richard Leger said it can be difficult for graduating seniors to find a job if he or she has not set up a job-hunting strategy already.
"Job hunting is a challenge; It doesn't matter if the person is 22, 42 or 82," he said. "That first job may lead to a second job. You never know where that first decision is going to take you."
McLaughlin's mother, Anna Iltis, said she was worried it might be difficult for her daughter to find a job upon graduation, but concerns were soon put to rest when McLaughlin found her job as a research assistant.
"My husband and I are active and she says we seem to be doing what we need to be to live long lives," Iltis said.
It seems McLaughlin may even possess some longevity traits herself, because her family is a part of the Long Life Study. Her grandfather is approaching 90 and still cross country skis.
One trend McLaughlin said she has noticed in centenarians or people in their 90s is that many remain active and do social work. Diet and genetics also play a role in a patient's longevity.
She said one supercentenarian attributed his longevity to drinking hard liquor three times a day and eating a slice of pie.
When asked if she would adopt the same strategy, McLaughlin said she probably would not.
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