This application requests funds to support the 2019 Gordon Research Conference (GRC) on the Biology of Aging, to be held at the Grand Sumit Hotel at Sudnday River (Newry, Maine, USA) on July 14-19, 2019, and the Gordon Research Seminar (GRS), which will be held at the same location on July 13-14, 2019, immediately prior to the GRC. This will be the fifteenth Biology of Aging meeting since its origin in 1962. While geriatrics and gerontology societies and their conferences have focused on the medical, social and psychological consequences of aging, in the most recent two decades there has been a explosion of knowledge on underlying mechanisms of the aging process. While the biology of aging is still a relatively new field, this GRC has become the premier forum for unpublished data presentation and discussions, resulting in a meeting where one can view exciting current science and also see the future directions of the field. This meeting is unique in its diversity, reflected in the theme of the 2019 conference: ?Frontiers of Aging: From Molecules to Physiology?. Participating scientists will present basic studies in invertebrate model organisms, as well as studies in higher organisms. Appropriately, the talks and posters will reflect the diversity of the biology of aging by ranging from molecular studies to understanding how aging impacts numerous cellular and organ systems and organisms. We will also hear exciting work on interventions to modulate aging. Finally, this meeting will emphasize novel methods in imaging and single cell efforts, which will stimulate the field. To meet these goals, we have organized a diverse program with the following sessions: 1) conserved pathways, 2) translational studies of aging, 3) chromatin and epigenetics, 4) genomic instability, 5) metabolites and signaling, 6) proteostasis, 7) nutrient sensing, 8) stem cells and clonal dynamics, and 9) cellular senescence. The meeting will incorporate a panel discussion, mentoring lunch, and numerous networking opportunities. Our multifaceted approach to meet the objectives of this meeting include: i) A program rich in scientific diversity of topic and approach with the overarching theme ?Frontiers of Aging: From Molecules To Physiology?; ii) An atmosphere to promote interdisciplinary collaborations and stimulate scientific exchange; iii) Mentoring opportunities to promote interactions between junior investigators and senior, established investigators; and iv) Support of individual diversity in participation.
The biology of aging is a dynamic research area that involves identification of key regulatory molecules, cellular pathways, and physiological changes that compromise health, which is reflected in the theme of the 2019 Biology of Aging Gordon Research Conference `Frontiers of Aging: From Molecules to Physiology'. This meeting will highlight diversity in aging research, incorporating cutting edge experimental approaches, discoveries, and will span model organisms to humans. Another essential objective will be support for the accompanyting Gordon Research Seminar to promote the career development of the next generation of scientists in the biology of aging research field.
