Support is requested for the continuation of a series of Summer Training Courses (STC) in the Biology of Aging to be held each summer from 1998 through 2002. The course will be directed from the University of Michigan and the conference site will rotate among three host institutions: the University of Michigan, the University of Texas at San Antonio, and the Berkeley National Laboratory in Berkeley, CA. Similar courses have been held with great success every summer since 1993. The Course is designed to provide an intensive exposure to modern research in experimental biogerontology for a group of 20 researchers who are in the formative stages of their careers. Each trainee is expected to have had at least two years of productive laboratory experience in some aspect of cell or molecular biology beyond the doctoral degree. Each day in the five day program includes three activities: a) Two overview lectures; b) a research development workshop; and c) a research seminar presented by a senior faculty member of the host or nearby institution. Four scientists will serve as the Course Steering committee and participate in the course on a regular basis. Richard Miller, the Course Director, will provide overviews of aging and immune function and animal models for aging. Judith Campisi will discuss clonal senescence and aging/cancer interactions. James Nelson will cover endocrine aging and caloric restriction. Phyllis Wise will discuss brain aging and regulation of the menopause. Six other researchers will serve as continuing faculty, attending the course approximately every other year. These include Steven Austad, James Curtsinger, Caleb Finch, Olivia Pereira-Smith, Arlan Richardson and Rudy Tanzi. It is believed that this series of courses should provide younger researchers with a solid foundation in modern experimental gerontology and provide a useful perspective to more senior scientists who are developing new programs in aging research. Contacts among trainees and faculty are likely to lead to continuing interactions and perhaps collaborations, as trainees develop their research programs after the course.
