The last period of T32 funding was accompanied by growth in the presence of Aging Research with 5 Program Project, mainly translational, ~3 fold increase in number of investigators, ~3 fold increase in NIA funding, and the recruitment of scientist in the field to leadership positions at Einstein. During, this last period of T32 funding has been a success fudging the quality of candidates, heir scientific and academic achievement and in training 35% minorities. For this competitive renewal application for the Aging Training Grant, we propose a new approach to training that encompassesfour programmatic foci: Metabolic Syndrome of Aging (leader and PI of this grant, Barzilai);Cognitive Function in Aging (leader, Lipton);Role of Genes in Exceptional Longevity (leader, Vijg);Autophagy - Immunosenescence (leader, Cuervo). Ofthe original group of mentors, Drs. Barzilai, Brownlee, Charron, Cuervo, Etgen, Hawkins, Kitsis, Lipton, Mehler, and Bantoro continue with active NJAfunding, have mentored trainee, and/or continue to have unique access to trainees. Trainers new to this application include Bergman (systems biology of aging), Chua (neural genetics for analysis of aging metabolism), Crandall (heart risk in older adults with diabetes, Czaja (autophagy impairment in aging), . Morrow, (genetics of aging.) Pessin (new director of the Einstein Diabetes Center and research on the role of AMPK in longevity), Suh (genetics/functional genomics of aging), Verghese (neurology [frailty, mobility] of aging), Vijg (genome instability and aging), Zukin (epigenetic reprogrammjng of genes relevant to aging). Predoctoral trainees (3 slots) are drawn from the diverse applicant pool through the graduate division and there are two entry level Ph.D. postdoctoral trainees, and two M.D. trainees at the 5 or 6 year level. Didactic education includes typical lab, departmental, and university-wide training activities, as well as those available through the Institute for Aging Research and the four program projects related to aging, and is strengthened with added 30 hours course on the Biology of Aging for our Graduate school, and which will be taken by any trainee in our program. Training Grant participants gain state-of-the-art research training, enabling them to embark on careers involving research in aging and aging-related diseases.
Aging research is increasingly important in modern society as the typical lifespan increases due to improvements in health care and nutrition. Aging-related disease has gained increased attention due to improved longevity in populations worldwide. Progress in this area will only be realized by engaging in basic and translational research, bringing the knowledge to the bedside with the focus on finding strategies for preventing or treating aging and ag e-related diseases
Showing the most recent 10 out of 70 publications
