Jane Buchanan

Jane Buchanan (LinkedIn) is Director of Global Impact at HelpAge USA, where she leads the organization’s global advocacy and partnerships initiatives, advancing knowledge and programs that lead to systems, policy, and legal changes that enable countries to prepare for global population aging and support the rights and participation of older people.  

Previously, Jane worked at Human Rights Watch, directing the organization’s disability portfolio as well as regional Europe and Central Asia teams. As a human rights investigator and advocate, Jane has worked in over 20 countries to expose abuse and exploitation. She has published widely on topics related to older people, disability, armed conflict, humanitarian crises, and corporate social responsibility. She has advocated with top officials in government and business leaders to push for lasting human rights change. 

Over her career, she has also trained hundreds of researchers in human rights investigation methodology, evidentiary standards, security, and writing. Her writing has appeared in Just Security, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, Foreign Policy, and other leading publications. She has an M.A in international affairs and international economics from the Johns Hopkins University School for Advanced International Studies (SAIS) and a B.A. from Bowdoin College. She is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and is fluent in Russian. 

In recognition of her expertise in aging policy, Jane was named as a 2026-2027 Health and Aging Policy Fellow/American Political Science Association Policy Fellow.