- USC-Buck Institute Nathan Shock Center Overall The biology of aging field is at an inflection point; driven by 30 years of discoveries that have revealed mechanisms of aging and lifespan determination. Until recently, these studies were deemed phenomenological, but geroscientists are now transforming the way we approach the study of chronic diseases and the practice of medicine itself. For this transformation to be sustainable, the basic biology of aging field must expand. Critical for this expansion, is the training of the next generation of geoscientists. Here we present an innovative program of activities, with a strong emphasis on training, designed to overcome these challenges. This includes many Research Sabbaticals, a pilot project scheme and a voucher funding mechanism to open outside investigators to an unmatched technology platform for aging research.
The translation of basic research on aging into preventions and therapies requires a deeper understanding of why aging causes disease. The USC/Buck Nathan Shock Center will fund innovative pilot projects, give access to leading edge technologies focused on aging and mentor junior investigators from across the nation to train them to become the next leaders in the field.