Biomedical Researchers Step Up Efforts To Probe Mysteries of Aging

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. It was established in 1974 when Congress passed the Research on Aging Act, charging the institute to conduct and support biomedical, social, and behavioral research as well as training and education on the process of aging and the diseases and special needs of older individuals. "Our research is very far-ranging, from basic research into cell regul

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"Our research is very far-ranging, from basic research into cell regulation and cell death, to aging and cancer, to the social and behavioral aspects of aging," says Miriam Kelty, associate director of NIA and director of the office of extramural affairs.

Some current NIA statistics:

--K.Y.K.

As the baby boomer generation gets older, increased attention is being focused upon geriatrics (the study of illness in older people) and gerontology (the basic science of aging processes). For scientists in these fields, the demographic sea change has conceptually affirmed the need for a more aggressive approach to aging research and, consequently, has fueled growth in funding for it in recent years (see story on page 1).

Immunologist Richard Hodes is addressing the challenges of this broad field of scientific study in two venues: the director's office of the National Institute on Aging (NIA), where he's responsible for administering the efforts of about ...

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