Battling the Scourge of Aging
F
or over half of a century, the Department of Molecular & Integrative Physiology (MIP) has partnered with the Geriatrics Center, the Division of Geriatric and Palliative Medicine, and the Institute of Gerontology to develop research and clinical
communities devoted to defeating the evils of aging and the many forms that it may take. The faculty at the University of Michigan (UM) are now recognized as one of the finest in the world, for the study of the Biology of Aging. Consistently ranked in the top ten in research funding from the National Institute on Aging and in the quality of its primary care, UM is also home to several prestigious national centers and programs including the Paul F. Glenn Center for Aging Research, the Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center, and the NIH-funded Career Training in the Biology of Aging program, which, for the past 35 years, has trained national leaders in aging research, medicine, and policy. Nine primary MIP faculty members also hold appointments in the Geriatrics Center because major components of their research portfolios are devoted to unraveling the mysteries of aging. Recognizing that the complexity of aging is such that it is a foe that no single researcher can withstand, this closeknit, collaborative group loosed their superior intellect and unrivaled energy on understanding the basic mechanisms of aging and age-related disease. In 2019, the accomplishments of UM’s mightiest aging researchers, the Aging Avengers, have been featured in publications, conferences, classrooms, and public gatherings around the country. The Aging Avengers’ achievements in this space are auspicious, as public and private interest in aging research is growing. The importance of aging as a risk factor for many diseases is now recognized across Institutes within the NIH. Industry is also taking notice. Well-established pharmaceutical companies, such as GSK and Novartis, have created new divisions focused on aging biology, and well-financed start-ups, often supported by highly-attractive parent companies (e.g., Calico-Google), are capturing the attention of the brightest young scientists. Dr. Sue “She-Hulk” Brooks is interested in eliminating the breakdown of muscle function, termed sarcopenia, that occurs with advancing age. Drs. Myungjin “Captain Marvel” Kim, Jun Hee “Quicksilver” Lee, and Matthias “Thor” Truttman seek to better understand how our body’s innate stress responses can be co-opted to combat metabolic dysfunction, prevent the aggregation of mis-folded proteins, and extend healthy
lifespan. Drs. Christi “The Wasp” Gendron, Scott “Mr. Fantastic” Leiser, Shawn “Vision” Xu, and Scott “Iron Man” Pletcher share interests in the role of the brain in controlling aging, at least in part through its ability to detect and respond to environmental conditions through sensory systems.
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Physiology Matters
