This proposal is designed to provide a 21st-century roadmap for establishing USC as the world leader in the research, education, policy, and application of innovations and advances that promote a cradle- to-grave approach for health, wellness, and longevity. The leadership award will enable the attainment of this goal by facilitating the development of a Lifespan Health (LSH) Initiative at USC that capitalizes on the wealth of expertise at the University while fostering new and convergent approaches to research. With this goal in mind, we propose four Specific Aims of this innovative approach to the study of lifespan health: 1. Convergent Lifespan Health Research ? Coordinate the bountiful resources at USC that impact the study of lifespan health. Generate multiple institutional resources to advance lifespan health research particularly new convergent approaches. 2. Convening Lifespan Health Events ? Establish a series of events that will bring scholars together to develop new and convergent approaches to lifespan health. 3. Omni-Training and Mentoring ? Develop new coursework and establish the USCMentorMatch program. 4. Communication of Lifespan Health Topics ? Create a dedicated team of communication professional to advance the Lifespan Health Initiative. Collectively, this project will revolutionize the study of lifespan health, increase the number of exceptionally well-trained scholars in lifespan health, and further solidify USC as the preeminent institution to study lifespan health.
By merging the study of biology, medicine, demography, social and behavioral sciences into a unified approach, the USC Lifespan Health Initiative fosters new cooperative and collaborative efforts to translate basic research into policy, services, and interventions that drive healthy aging. The Lifespan Health Initiative fosters the coalescing of ideas, approaches, and technologies from all fields of study in aging thus generating a truly conversant community of researchers on aging across all disciplines.
