IGERT in Healthy Aging: LIFE in an Aging Society

The number of people in the United States over the age of 65 is expected to double in the next quarter century. By 2025, it is estimated that 1 in 8 of the world’s inhabitants will be over the age of 60.

Unleashing the potential of older adults hinges on good health.

A long healthspan to complement our increased lifespan will benefit society, creating new opportunities for engaging older adults. Aging processes occur from the molecular level to the societal level. Understanding the interactive effects of nutrition, exercise, psychosocial factors, assistive technology, and the built environment on aging has the potential to mitigate declines, and unveil age-associated capabilities that will revolutionize gerontology and aging sciences.

An interdisciplinary approach is central to meeting future needs

The Oregon State IGERT in Aging Sciences is an interdisciplinary traineeship, funded, in part, by the National Science Foundation. The program aims to develop a new generation of interdisciplinary scientists with the professional skills to shape the science, products, and policies that will optimize function and independence of older adults in our society. Armed with the conceptual frameworks and methodological tools to address critical questions, participants in Oregon State’s IGERT in Aging Sciences will be poised to catalyze the science of aging.

Students from diverse fields including biology, computer science, human development, bioengineering, sociology, psychology, public health, and other social and behavioral sciences will benefit from this challenging program.

Training guided by Center for Healthy Aging Research Cores:

The Center for Healthy Aging Research is an interdisciplinary community of Oregon State researchers who study optimal aging across the life span.

Diet & Genes Core – biological mechanisms underlying aging processes to develop strategies for maintaining and promoting good health.

Musculoskeletal Core – methods to preserve functioning, prevent disability and optimize overall well being through studies in bone health, fall prevention and behavioral interventions to promote exercise.

Psychosocial Core – aging individuals and their families in social contexts, including individual differences in lifetime pathways of risk and resilience factors and their impact on mental and physical outcomes.

Gerontechnology – investigation and design of supportive technologies to enhance living for older adults in their own homes or in residential facilities, including examination of complex issues of privacy and the social and ethical ramifications of health and wellness monitoring.