Training in Aging Research

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This new application for a T32 Institutional National Research Service Award is centered on strong and growing research programs in aging research and includes a selective group of mentors with well-funded scientific endeavors in aging-related research. These investigators provide an outstanding foundation for the recruitment and training of a new generation of aging researchers at Einstein. The current new application builds on the foundation of an earlier T32 grant first awarded at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine (AECOM) in September 1989, and competitively renewed in 1994. We have elected to include a "two-year build-up" period designed to reinstitute this program at Einstein, promote its visibility within and outside our Institution, and implement novel recruitment strategies. In this regard, we plan to initially enroll a total of five trainees and to increase the total number of trainees from five to seven starting on the third year of this application. On the other hand, it should also be noted that since 1999, this Institution has enhanced its commitment to aging research as partly reflected by increasing research funding from the National Institute of Aging (NIA), other relevant NIH Institutes, the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR), and the Ellison Foundation. In this regard, the number of Einstein investigators funded by the NIA rose from 6 to 14 during this period of time, while the annual direct cost of these awards more than doubled to approximately 5 million dollars. The recent rapid growth in aging research provides renewed opportunities for training in aging research at Einstein. The research disciplines represented in this application include metabolic syndromes of aging; aging brain functions and neurodegenerative diseases; cardiovascular and aging cellular functions; immunology and aging; growth factors, cell signaling, and cancer; and aging, menopause and women's health. Our research interactions and the joint training of pre-doctoral and post-doctoral trainees in principles of biogerontology lend themselves to a highly integrated and cohesive program. Through formal course work, participation in research seminars, and individual research projects, trainees can develop the skills necessary for independent careers in aging research.