The Bowman Gray School of Medicine of Wake Forest University has made a major commitment to expand research and training activities in gerontology and geriatric medicine. The School of Medicine is proposing Dr. Walter H. Ettinger, Jr., newly appointed as Head, Section on Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine and Deputy Director, The J. Paul Sticht Center on Aging, to develop a multi-disciplinary research and training program in aging. Dr. Ettinger will work with faculty from several basic science and clinical departments in the School of Medicine as well as with individuals from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro School of Nursing and the Northwest Area Health Education Center in developing these programs. The four broad goals of this application are: 1) to promote aging research in basic science, clinical science and epidemiology at the School of Medicine. This will be accomplished through the collaborative efforts of key faculty members in the School of Medicine, recruitment of new faculty with interest in aging research and funding of pilot studies in aging research. 2) to develop core resources for aging research, both basic science and clinical. Thus, a key aspect of the proposal is to develop aging research in the existing non-human primate colony at the Bowman Gray School of Medicine as well as to develop clinical and population based registries for clinical and epidemiologic research. 3) to develop a formal aging training and research program for pre-doctoral and post-doctoral fellows. This will be accomplished through identification of suitable preceptors and laboratories for training; and through development and implementation of a core curriculum in research methodology. a formal mechanism for involving pre-doctoral students in aging research will be developed including the awarding of stipends for student research during the pre-doctoral years. 4) to write and implement an aging curriculum in the pre- and post-doctoral programs. A formal structured curriculum in aging and geriatric medicine will be developed and incorporated into the curriculum of medical and other pre-doctoral students in the School of Medicine. In addition, formal training in geriatrics will be included in the internal medicine, family medicine and psychiatry residencies.
