Dr. Mala Kapur Shankardass is a sociologist, gerontologist, health and development social scientist. She is also a teacher, writer, researcher, consultant and activist. She has been involved with ageing studies since 1992, when she began pursuing postdoctoral work on ageing issues. She has held prestigious assignments with various United Nations agencies, and with national and international institutions. She has participated in panel discussions, delivered keynote addresses and chaired sessions on ageing concerns with reputed organizations both in India and abroad. She has been awarded Fellowships for her contributions to gerontology around the world.