TY - JOUR
T1 - Einstein's institute for aging research
T2 - Collaborative and programmatic approaches in the search for successful aging
AU - Barzilai, Nir
AU - Rossetti, Luciano
AU - Lipton, Richard B.
N1 - Funding Information:
While studies suggest that the effect of genes on life span is minimal at a younger age, evidence suggests that life span is strongly inherited in families of centenarians, In support of the inheritance of longevity, the New England Centenarian Study, in a genome-wide scan, identified a region of the genome on chromosome 4 that sibling pairs shared more often than would be expected by chance. This and other evidence suggests that exceptional longevity may be linked to the action of a small number of genes. With this fact in mind, in 1998 we received initial seed funding from Dean Purpura of Einstein and from AFAR to begin recruiting long-lived Ashkenazi Jews (a genetically homogenous population), with the long-term goal of identifying genes that promote longevity. In recent years this project is also funded by an R0-1 and by the Ellison Medical Foundation Senior Award.
Funding Information:
In the few years since the establishment of the Institute for Aging Research, the number of Einstein investigators funded by the NIA rose from 6 to 19, while the annual direct costs of these awards increased from $2.2 to $6.3 million/yr. Furthermore, important programs at Einstein involving Alzheimer's disease, oxidative cellular damage, neurodegenerative and metabolic diseases have also been funded by other NIH Institutes. A new generation of Einstein gerontologists has received research fellowships from AFAR and other prestigious career development awards (including K08 awards from the NIA and Paul Beeson Physician Faculty Scholars in Aging Research).
Funding Information:
We are grateful to Dr Dominick P. Purpura the Dean of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, the American Federation of Aging Research (AFAR), the Paul Beeson Physician Faculty Scholars in Aging Research Program, the Ellison Medical Foundation, and the National Institute of Aging for enhancing aging research in the US, and for supporting the Institute for Aging Research at Albert Einstein College of Medicine through individual grants and Program Projects.
PY - 2004/2
Y1 - 2004/2
N2 - While aging research has been progressing rapidly recently, the involvement of multiple organs and systems in the aging process has hampered a comprehensive assessment of some of aging's basic features. In response to this problem, the Institute for Aging Research at Einstein did not emerge out of the traditional geriatric programs, but through enhanced collaborations between basic and clinical scientists who had successful careers in the research of a specific organ or system. The strength of the Center derives from three specific programs focused on a specific area of aging research. The programs focus on the Biology of Aging, Genetics of Aging and the Aging Brain. Each programmatic area is characterized by collaboration between basic and clinical scientists. In addition to addressing the traditional questions about the mechanisms of involution, the programs also examine the mechanisms for exceptional and healthy longevity. The mechanisms favoring longevity are being examined in models of caloric restriction (biological nutrient sensing pathways), in human centenarians (longevity genes), and in longitudinal studies identifying humans who maintain excellent cognitive function (protection from Alzheimer's). Each programmatic area is enhanced by common research core laboratory and by the creation of a scientific training program for new investigators. In addition to the investigators involved in the program project, the Institute for Aging Research includes other investigators with funded aging research who participate in journal clubs, seminars, and in specific collaborations. We suggest that this Institute serve as a model that gerontologists at other institutions should consider as they evaluate opportunities for collaborative, multi-disciplinary approaches to enhance aging research.
AB - While aging research has been progressing rapidly recently, the involvement of multiple organs and systems in the aging process has hampered a comprehensive assessment of some of aging's basic features. In response to this problem, the Institute for Aging Research at Einstein did not emerge out of the traditional geriatric programs, but through enhanced collaborations between basic and clinical scientists who had successful careers in the research of a specific organ or system. The strength of the Center derives from three specific programs focused on a specific area of aging research. The programs focus on the Biology of Aging, Genetics of Aging and the Aging Brain. Each programmatic area is characterized by collaboration between basic and clinical scientists. In addition to addressing the traditional questions about the mechanisms of involution, the programs also examine the mechanisms for exceptional and healthy longevity. The mechanisms favoring longevity are being examined in models of caloric restriction (biological nutrient sensing pathways), in human centenarians (longevity genes), and in longitudinal studies identifying humans who maintain excellent cognitive function (protection from Alzheimer's). Each programmatic area is enhanced by common research core laboratory and by the creation of a scientific training program for new investigators. In addition to the investigators involved in the program project, the Institute for Aging Research includes other investigators with funded aging research who participate in journal clubs, seminars, and in specific collaborations. We suggest that this Institute serve as a model that gerontologists at other institutions should consider as they evaluate opportunities for collaborative, multi-disciplinary approaches to enhance aging research.
KW - Aging
KW - Longevity
KW - Traditional geriatic programs
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0842305086&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0842305086&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.exger.2003.10.009
DO - 10.1016/j.exger.2003.10.009
M3 - Article
C2 - 15036407
AN - SCOPUS:0842305086
SN - 0531-5565
VL - 39
SP - 151
EP - 157
JO - Experimental Gerontology
JF - Experimental Gerontology
IS - 2
ER -
