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Mission

Since 1974, the mission of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) has been to improve the health and well-being of older Americans through biomedical, social, and behavioral research.

The Institute conducts and supports research on aging through extramural and intramural programs, focusing on aging processes, age-related diseases, and special problems and needs of the aged. The extramural program funds research and training at universities, hospitals, medical centers, and other public and private organizations nationwide. The intramural program conducts basic and clinical research in Baltimore and on the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland. NIA also has a broad information program to communicate about research and health with older people, their families, health professionals, researchers, policymakers, and others.

Important Events in NIA History

December 2, 1971—The White House Conference on Aging recommends the creation of a separate National Institute on Aging.

May 31, 1974—Public Law 93-296 authorizes the establishment of a National Institute on Aging and mandates the Institute develop a national comprehensive plan to coordinate the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (succeeded by the Department of Health and Human Services) involvement in aging research.

October 7, 1974—The National Institute on Aging is established.

April 23, 1975—First meeting of the National Advisory Council on Aging is held.

1984—NIA funds Alzheimer’s Disease Centers, where researchers at medical institutions nationwide focus on prevention and treatment while improving care and diagnosis.

1986—Per congressional direction, NIA funds the Federal Forum on Aging-Related Statistics, a coordinating organization made up of more than 35 Federal agencies.

November 14, 1986—P.L. 99-660, section 501-503, authorizes NIA's Alzheimer's Disease Education and Referral (ADEAR) Center as part of a broad program to conduct research and distribute information about Alzheimer's disease to health professionals, patients and their families, and the general public.

November 4, 1988—P.L. 100-607 establishes the Geriatric Research and Training Centers, renamed the Claude D. Pepper Older American Independence Centers in 1990 and charged with conducting research on diseases that threaten independent living.

1991—NIA sets up the Alzheimer's Disease Cooperative Study, an ongoing consortium of academic medical centers and others to facilitate clinical trials research.

1992—NIA and the University of Michigan begin the Health and Retirement Study, which follows more than 20,000 people at 2-year intervals, providing data from pre-retirement to advanced age to allow multidisciplinary study of the causes and course of retirement.

1993—The first Edward Roybal Centers for Research on Applied Gerontology are authorized, focusing on translational research to convert basic and clinical findings into programs that improve the lives of older people and their families.

NIA launches the Longevity Assurance Genes initiative, an interactive network of funded researchers looking for genetic clues to longevity, using a variety of lower organisms such as C. elegans, Drosophila, and yeast.

1994— The first Demography of Aging Centers are funded to provide research on health, economics, and aging and to make more effective use of data from several national surveys of health, retirement, and long-term care.

The Study of Women’s Health Across the Nation (SWAN) is launched to characterize in diverse populations the biological and psychosocial influences related to the transition to menopause.

1995—Nathan Shock Centers of Excellence in Basic Biology of Aging are established to further the study of the basic processes of aging.

1996—NIA introduces Exercise: A Guide from the National Institute on Aging, providing encouragement and evidence-based guidance specifically for older adults to engage in exercise.

1997—The Resource Centers for Minority Aging Research (RCMAR) are funded to investigate the variability of health differences experienced across racial and ethnic groups, as well as the mentoring of new scholars in health disparities research.

2000—The Institute distributes established mouse cDNA microarray/clone set containing more than 15,000 unique genes to 10 designated academic centers worldwide.

2001—In a unique private-public partnership, NIA joins the Osteoarthritis Initiative to bring together resources and commitment to the search for biological markers of osteoarthritis.

NIA and the Icelandic Heart Association announce collaboration on a vast study on the interactions of age, genes, and the environment. The collaboration extends 34 years of data on the health of 23,000 Icelandic residents into the new millennium.

2003—NIA and the National Library of Medicine (NLM) launch NIHSeniorhealth.gov, a website designed to encourage older people to use the internet.

NIA, joined by the Alzheimer’s Association, expands the Alzheimer’s Disease Genetics Initiative to create a large bank of genetic materials and cell lines for study to speed up the discovery of risk-factor genes for late-onset Alzheimer’s disease.

NIA and the American Federation for Aging Research-–in collaboration with the John A. Hartford Foundation, the Atlantic Philanthropies, and the Staff Foundation—establish a public-private partnership to support clinically trained junior faculty to pursue careers in aging research.

2004—NIA launches the Longevity Consortium, a network of investigators from several large-scale human cohort studies working in collaboration with individual basic biological aging researchers to facilitate the discovery, confirmation, and understanding of genetic determinants of healthy human longevity.

NIA, in conjunction with other Federal agencies and private companies and organizations through the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health, leads the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative.

NIA launches Healthy Aging in Neighborhoods of Diversity across the Life Span (HANDLS), a multidisciplinary community-based, longitudinal, epidemiologic study examining the influences and interaction of race and socioeconomic status on the development of age-associated health disparities among socioeconomically diverse African Americans and whites in Baltimore.

2006—NIA leads the NIH conference “AD: Setting the Research Agenda a Century after Auguste D,” a conclave assessing the state of current Alzheimer's disease research and the most promising routes to progress.

2007—U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice sponsors the Summit on Global Aging in collaboration with NIA to call attention to challenges and opportunities worldwide from population aging.

Biographical Sketch of NIA Director Richard J. Hodes, M.D.

Richard J. Hodes, M.D., directs the research program of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) at the National Institutes of Health. A leading immunologist, Dr. Hodes was named Director of the NIA in 1993, overseeing studies of the basic, clinical, epidemiological, and social aspects of aging.

Under Dr. Hodes' stewardship, the NIA budget has surpassed $1 billion, reflecting increased public interest in aging as America and the world grow older. Dr. Hodes has devoted his tenure to the development of a strong, diverse, and balanced research program, focusing on the genetics and biology of aging; basic and clinical studies aimed at reducing disease and disability, including Alzheimer's disease and age-related cognitive change; and investigation of the behavioral and social aspects of aging. Ultimately, these efforts have one goal—improving the health and quality of life for older people and their families.

A Diplomate of the American Board of Internal Medicine, Dr. Hodes, in 1995, was elected a member of The Dana Alliance for Brain Initiatives; in 1997, he was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science; and in 1999, he was elected to membership in the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences.

Dr. Hodes is actively involved in research on the NIH campus through his direction of the Immune Regulation Section, a laboratory at the National Cancer Institute focused on cellular and molecular events that activate the immune response. This involvement in campus research strengthens his ties with other NIH scientists studying age-related diseases. As author of more than 200 research papers, Dr. Hodes is an influential scientist in the field of immunology.

Dr. Hodes receivedAfter receiving his undergraduate degree from Yale University in 1965 and working as a research fellow at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, Dr. Hodes attended Harvard Medical School, from which he graduated in 1971. Dr. Hodes completed training in Internal Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and in Oncology at the National Cancer Institute.

NIA Directors

Name	In Office From	To
Norman Kretchmer (Acting)	October 1974	July 1975
Richard C. Greulich (Acting)	July 1975	April 1976
Robert N. Butler	May 1, 1976	July 1982
Robert L. Ringler (Acting)	July 16, 1982	June 30, 1983
T. Franklin Williams	July 1, 1983	July 31, 1991
Gene D. Cohen (Acting)	July 1, 1991	May 31, 1993
Richard J. Hodes	June 1, 1993	Present

Research Programs

Intramural Research

The goal of NIA’s Intramural Research Program (IRP) is to support a broad-based research program centered on critical issues regarding the general biology of aging and age-associated diseases and disabilities.

The specific areas of study on the biology of aging focus on 1) characterization of normal aging, 2) cell cycle regulation and programmed cell death, 3) stress response, 4) DNA damage and repair, 5) genetics, and 6) immunology. Age-associated disease and disabilities research includes the study of 1) Alzheimer’s disease; 2) cancer; 3) osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and frailty; 4) cardiovascular disease and hypertension; and 5) diabetes. In addition, researchers at NIA’s IRP continue to develop and/or test different intervention strategies—e.g., pharmacotherapy, gene therapy, and behavioral or lifestyle changes—to treat many age-associated diseases.

The NIA’s IRP comprises 11 scientific laboratories, a clinical branch, a research resources support branch, and 2 sections. The research program includes the scientific disciplines of biochemistry, cell and molecular biology, structural biology, genetics, immunology, neurogenetics, behavioral sciences (psychology, cognition, and psychophysiology), epidemiology, statistics, and clinical research and the medical disciplines of neurobiology, immunology, endocrinology, cardiology, rheumatology, hematology, oncology, and gerontology.

Most of NIA’s intramural research is conducted in Baltimore at the NIH Biomedical Research Center and the Gerontology Research Center. Clinical research resources are located at Harbor Hospital in Southeast Baltimore. Two laboratories and one scientific research section are located in Bethesda. IRP laboratories provide a stimulating environment for age-related research. IRP also offers many excellent training opportunities in both laboratory research and clinical medicine for investigators at all stages of their careers.

To read more about the NIA’s Intramural Program, go to www.grc.nia.nih.gov.

IRP Laboratories

Laboratory of Cardiovascular Science (LCS)
The overall goals of LCS are: 1) to identify age-associated changes within the cardiovascular system and to determine the mechanisms for these changes; 2) to determine how aging of the heart and vasculature interacts with chronic disease states to enhance the risk for cardiovascular diseases in older persons; 3) to study basic mechanisms in excitation-contraction coupling in cardiac cells and how these are modulated by surface receptor signaling pathways; 4) to elucidate factors that maintain stem cell pluripotentiality, that promote the commitment of stem cells to the cardiac lineage, and that regulate their development as cardiac cells; 5) to elucidate mechanisms that govern cardiac and vascular cell survival; 6) to determine mechanisms that govern neuro-hormonal behavioral aspects of hypertension; and 7) to establish the potentials and limitations of new therapeutic approaches such as changes in lifestyle, novel pharmacologic agents, and gene or stem cell transfer techniques in aging or cardiovascular disease states. In meeting these objectives, studies are performed in human volunteers, intact animals, isolated heart and vascular tissues, isolated cardiac and vascular cells, and subcellular organelles.

Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology (LCMB)
The ultimate goal of LCMB programs is to uncover knowledge that can be applied to prevent or delay the onset of age-related disabilities and diseases, and provide new strategies for their diagnosis or treatment.
The LCMB research programs share several areas of emphasis, including: 1) the elucidation of signal transduction processes and gene regulatory mechanisms involved in mediating cellular responses to environmental signals such as growth factors, cytokines, immune activators, and stress stimuli; 2) the determination of molecular mechanisms contributing to the maintenance of cellular homeostasis and cell cycle control; 3) the contribution of dysregulated gene expression or loss of critical gene functions to the development of cancer; and 4) the examination of oxidative DNA damage and repair mechanisms in cancer. A wide variety of in vitro and in vivo models are employed to approach these issues. These processes have direct relevance to our understanding of critical events associated with various age-related deficits as well as age-related diseases including cancer.

Laboratory of Clinical Investigation (LCI)
The overall goals of the LCI are: 1) to gain fundamental understanding of age- and disease-related changes in calcium ion channel function, islet cell differentiation and insulin secretion, insulin receptor function, molecular and cellular changes in osteoarthritis, and genetic features of tumorigenesis; 2) to carry out translational research in each of these areas in order to take hypotheses generated from fundamental studies and apply them to humans in health and disease; 3) to identify therapeutic targets in each of these areas and in other laboratories across the NIA IRP; and 4) to develop therapeutic agents for the identified targets and carry out preclinical and clinical studies for proof of principle for the targets. To meet these objectives, studies are performed at the molecular, cellular, animal model, and human levels.

Laboratory of Epidemiology, Demography, and Biometry (LEDB)
The LEDB conducts research on aging and age-associated diseases and conditions using population-based epidemiologic and biometric methods. LEDB collaborators include other NIA researchers and outside investigators. The mission of the laboratory is to elucidate the etiology of diseases and conditions of old age by analyzing epidemiologic data collected in prospective, population-based studies developed by LEDB, combining epidemiologic data with information from other disciplines, evaluating the consistency of epidemiologic data with etiologic hypotheses developed either clinically or experimentally, and providing the basis for developing and evaluating preventive procedures and public health practices. LEDB’s research agenda emphasizes 3 interrelated areas: physical function and disability; cognitive function and dementia; and age-associated diseases and conditions, including successful or effective aging. Cross-cutting research themes being addressed by LEDB investigators are: functional status, comorbidity, genetic epidemiology, inflammation, socioeconomic status and health, diabetes/metabolism, and energy balance–physical activity/obesity.

Laboratory of Experimental Gerontology (LEG)
The LEG conducts basic research in experimental models focused on interventions that slow aging processes. One of LEG’s major projects is a longitudinal study of the potential beneficial effects of diet restriction on aging in nonhuman primates. A second major focus is in vivo rodent, fly, and nematode models and in vitro cellular models to identify protective mechanisms invoked by calorie restriction. A third major project evaluates various aging interventions (pharmaceuticals, hormones, dietary supplements, genes) in mouse models to assess effects on lifespan, pathology, and functional capacity at older ages. Finally, the recently established Neurocognitive Aging Section (NAS) aims to understand the mechanisms of normal cognitive aging as a basis for developing effective therapeutic interventions and to develop a detailed and sensitive framework for testing the working hypothesis that age-related decline results from large scale restructuring of the neural networks that support normal memory. A primary objective is preclinical development of pharmacological, genetic, and nutritional interventions that improve function.

Laboratory of Genetics (LG)
The LG views aging as an integrated extension of human development, with important genes influencing the course of aging even in embryonic and fetal life. The laboratory’s long-term goal is prolonging or ameliorating problems of aging tissues by understanding the coordinated action of genes in the normal pathways and genetic disorders that affect development, and in stem cells that can grow indefinitely and may help to regenerate tissues.

Laboratory of Immunology (LI)
The LI research program aims to uncover the fundamental cellular, genetic, and molecular mechanisms that contribute to changes in the immune system during the aging process and also contribute to age-associated diseases that increase incidence with advancing age. The LI has 7 major areas of concentration and long-term development: 1) the molecular examination of telomere length and telomerase activity in lymphocyte populations; 2) the molecular analysis of differentially regulated genes involved in lymphoid cell and organ development, differentiation, trafficking, and activation; 3) molecular mechanisms of memory lymphocyte formation, maintenance, and activation; 4) the study and use of biological response modifiers to optimize and control leukocyte trafficking, activation, organ engraftment, and vaccine efficacy in normal and aging hosts; 5) induction of antigen-specific tolerance and use in transplantation and autoimmunity; 6) the cellular and molecular dynamics involved in thymic involution and regeneration; and 7) understanding the molecular and biological aspects of tumor cell development and metastasis.

Laboratory of Molecular Gerontology (LMG)
The LMG investigates processes and mechanisms such as genomic instability, DNA repair, DNA replication, and transcription with special attention to examining the role of DNA damage accumulation in senescence as the major molecular change with aging. The Unit on Oxidative DNA Damage Processing and Mitochondrial Functions investigates the basis for the mitochondrial hypothesis of aging which states that accumulation of DNA damage with aging leads to the phenotypical changes that are observed in senescence and age-associated disease. The Unit on Structure and Function in Base Excision Repair investigates the mechanism involved in base excision repair and the function of individual DNA repair proteins and their interaction. The Unit on Telomere Maintenance and DNA Repair studies the proteins and functions involved in maintenance of the chromosome ends, telomeres, processes of genome stability to elucidate the genes or pathways that are important in telomere length regulation and maintenance and genomic stability. The Section on Gene Targeting is developing oligonucleotides that can form a three-stranded DNA structure called a triple helix. Eventually this approach will be used to modulate genomic sequences with targeted gene knockout as a specific application. The Section on Antibody Diversity investigates the mechanism of somatic hypermutation of immunoglobin genes. This section is studying the roles of DNA polymerases and mismatch DNA repair proteins in the mechanism. The Section on DNA Helicases focuses on the roles of DNA helicases in genomic stability.

Laboratory of Neurogenetics (LNG)
The LNG is comprised of 3 sections that aim to understand neurodegenerative diseases based on a resolution of their genetic etiology, and to use this understanding to develop cellular and animal models of disease. The Molecular Genetics Section is focused on finding genes for neurodegenerative disease; the Cell Biology & Gene Expression Unit seeks to develop an understanding of the effects of mutant genes on cell physiology; and the Transgenic Unit examines the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative disorders in whole animals and to test potential treatments for the diseases. Underpinning this structure are 3 groups: a Clinical Core whose role is to identify patients with neurological disorders and facilitate collaborations with clinical investigators from around the world, a Computational Biology Core whose role is to facilitate the analysis of laboratory data in the broad context of the wealth of information available through the Human Genome Project and related endeavors, and a Genomic Technologies Group whose role is to is to leverage and support the most recent genomic approaches.

Laboratory of Neurosciences (LNS)
The LNS seeks to understand the cellular and molecular mechanisms of neural plasticity during aging and to develop novel interventions for the prevention and treatment of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, and Huntington's diseases, as well as stroke. The LNS pursues a variety of projects, including oxidative stress and calcium regulation in neuronal cell modes, signal transduction scaffolds and their modification by aging and disease, the role of dietary and behavioral factors in aging and age-related neurodegeneration, genetic abnormalities and the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases, stem cell biology and therapy, mechanisms of neuronal cell apoptosis, and drug discovery.

Laboratory of Personality and Cognition (LPC)
The LPC conducts basic and clinical research on individuals in cognitive and personality processes and traits; investigates the influence of age on these variables and their reciprocal influence on health, well-being, and adaptation; and employs longitudinal, experimental, and epidemiological methods in the analysis of psychological and psychosocial issues of aging, including health and illness, predictors of intellectual competence and decline, models of adult personality, and correlates of disease risk factors.

Extramural Research

Division of Extramural Activities (DEA)

DEA manages NIA's grants and training policies and procedures, including oversight of grants and contract administration, scientific review, and committee management functions. It serves as primary liaison for NIA with the NIH Office of Extramural Research and with other Institutes that share research interests. NIA's extramural training programs, career development programs, small business initiatives, and other special programs are managed by DEA. The Division handles scientific integrity and ethical questions in research and manages the National Advisory Council on Aging.

The Scientific Review Branch (SRB) conducts initial peer review of specific research applications assigned to the NIA. These include applications for Centers, program projects, scientific meetings, and training and career development as well as applications responding to initiatives published by NIA. External peer reviewers selected from the grant community conduct reviews.

The Grants and Contracts Management Branch (GCMB) works with scientists and institutional research administrators to issue, manage, and close out awards. The branch has legal responsibility for the fiscal management of the Institute’s extramural grants and contracts.

National Advisory Council on Aging (NACA)

Congress created the National Advisory Council on Aging (NACA) to provide advice on programmatic and policy matters; specifically, "to advise, consult with, and make recommendations to the Secretary, HHS, the Assistant Secretary for Health; the Director, NIH; and the Director, NIA on matters relating to the conduct and support of biomedical, social, and behavioral research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs with respect to the aging process and the diseases and other special problems and needs of the aged."

The NACA consists of 18 members appointed by the HHS Secretary and 5 non-voting ex officio members. Of the 18 appointed members, 12 are leading representatives of the health and scientific disciplines and are leaders in the fields of public health and the behavioral or social sciences relevant to the activities of the NIA, particularly with respect to biological and medical sciences relating to aging and public health. Six of the members are leaders from the general public in the fields of public policy, law, health policy, economics, and management. The NACA meets 3 times each year.

Division of Aging Biology (DAB)

The DAB plans, implements, and supports fundamental molecular, cellular, and genetic research on the mechanisms of aging through various NIH grant mechanisms and contracts. It also supports resource facilities that provide aged animals and cell cultures for use in aging research. The DAB includes the following programs:

• Animal Models. The objective of the Animal Models Program is to identify and develop new animal models, both mammalian and lower organism, for use in aging research. This includes research on rats, mice, birds, fish, rabbits, nonhuman primates, insects, nematodes, and yeast, with rodent models of particular interest.
• Biological Resources. The Biological Resources Program supports the management of biological resources and resource contracts and related informational resources. It coordinates the aged non-human primate resources and the aging Intervention Testing Program (ITP), a multi-institutional study conducting preliminary research, in mice, of diets and dietary supplements purported to extend life span or prevent/delay age-related diseases and dysfunction.
• Cardiovascular Biology. Aging, by itself, contributes to declines in heart and vascular function, with heart disease the major cause of death in older people. Specific investigations supported by this program cover identification and regulation of underlying molecular and cellular changes that lead to age-related declines in cardiac and vascular function.
• Cell Biology. This program supports research on the molecular basis of age-related changes in signal transduction mechanisms; microenvironment—extracellular matrix; replicative senescence/apoptosis/cancer; membranes and membrane receptors; and protein structure and function.
• Endocrinology. As humans and various animal models age, average serum levels of hormones secreted by the endocrine system decline while others rise, changing the overall hormonal milieu of the organism. The sensitivity of some intracellular signaling pathways responsive to endocrine factors change with age, altering tissue response to hormonal signals. This program supports basic molecular and cellular research into the causes and effects of age-related changes in the endocrine system of humans and various animal models.
• Genetics. The Division supports research on identification and characterization of longevity assurance genes (LAGs) and senescence assurance genes (SAGs); genome stability; telomere biology; genomics; epigenomics; mouse mutagenesis; single nucleotide polymorphisms/genetic epidemiology; and Werner syndrome.
• Immunology. Changes in the immune system of older people may contribute to the increased incidence of infection and cancer. Research in this area includes regulation of lymphocyte proliferation; regulation of immune specificity; response of immune system to biochemical stimuli; autoimmune disease and other immunopathology; endocrine control of immune function; molecular basis of the age-related decline in immune function; and interventions to retard and/or correct age-related decline in immune function.
• Metabolic Regulation. Areas of investigation include nutrition and metabolism; age-related changes in mitochondrial function/mitochondrial dysfunction; mechanism of lifespan extension by caloric restriction; and generation of free radicals and oxidative stress.
• Musculoskeletal Biology. Age-related changes to the function of various physiologic systems may have a negative effect on the health of the elderly. Basic molecular and cellular research in this area seeks to understand the causes and effects of changes, thereby encouraging the development of preventative and interventional strategies to extend health span with aging.
• Tissue Physiology. Areas of research include investigation of age-related changes that affect the function of the liver and digestive systems, the renal system, and the pulmonary system.

Division of Behavioral and Social Research (DBSR)

This division supports basic research and research training on the processes of aging at both the individual and societal level. It focuses on how people change over the adult life course and on the societal impact of the changing age-composition of the population. DBSR fosters research that reaches across disciplinary boundaries, from the genetic to comparisons across national populations, and at stages from basic through translational.

The DBSR has 2 branches, with substantial interactions between them:

The Individual Behavioral and Processes Branch supports research and training on health and behavior, cognitive and emotional functioning, technology and human factors, and integrative approaches to the study of social, psychological, genetic, and physiological influences on health and well-being over the life course. In Behavioral Medicine, the branch focuses on the dynamic interrelationships among aging, health, and behavior, expanding traditional studies in behavioral medicine by adding an aging perspective as well as emphasis on the influence of the socio-cultural environment on the development and maintenance of a wide range of health and illness behaviors (e.g., healthy lifestyle practices, medical self management, and coping with chronic illnesses and disabilities). There is also an interest in the Behavioral Genetics of Aging, where research specifically examines links among social, psychological, and behavioral processes with health and well-being over the life course through the study of gene-environment interplay. This includes the study of epigenetics, gene by environment interaction and gene-environment correlation. In Cognitive Aging, the branch supports studies on changes in cognitive functioning over the life. Research also explores the role of individual differences in cognitive functioning (e.g., motivation, self-efficacy, beliefs about aging, emotions, sensory limitations, experience, and expertise) and health disparities, collaborating with the NIA Division of Neuroscience to encourage research at the intersection of behavior and neurocognition. Psychological Development and Integrative Science applies an integrative approach to the study of personality, emotion, subjective well-being, motivation, self-regulation, social behaviors and social environments, social relationships, social cognition, stress and coping, resilience, and vulnerability to stress over the life course.

The Population and Social Processes Branch supports research and training on the causes and consequences of changes in social, demographic, economic, and health characteristics of the older population. Research on the effects of public policies, social institutions, and health care settings on the health, well-being, and functioning of people—both over the life course and in later years—is supported. International and comparative studies are encouraged, as are interconnections with individual behavioral processes. Interdisciplinary and multi-level research is especially promoted. In Demography and Epidemiology, the branch fosters research on trends in functioning, disability, morbidity, and mortality; age trajectories of health; life expectancy and active life expectancy; causes and consequences of changes in the age-structure of population; interactions between health and socioeconomic status over time and across generations; the effect on health of social networks and social contexts; interrelationships between work, family, and health; the intersection between demographic processes and social outcomes, including intergenerational relationships; and cohort analyses of aging. Epidemiologic studies of the health and well-being of older populations include studies of the incidence, prevalence, and dynamics of disability and frailty, and the identification and evaluation of strategies and interventions to promote health. A focus on the Economics of Aging promotes research on the implications of population aging for public and private retirement and health insurance programs and for income security of future retirees; allocation of family resources across generations; determinants of retirement, family labor supply, and saving; consequences of retirement for health and functioning; evaluations of the impact of changes in federal programs including Medicare and Social Security; health and long-term-care insurance and expenditures; interrelationships between health and economic status; the economic costs of disability; cost-effectiveness of interventions to improve the health and well being of older people; and the economic value of disability reduction and additional years of life. Health Services and Systems seek to understand the impact of formal health care and long-term care systems and settings on the health and well-being of older people by supporting research on the long-term care system; health services and health care financing for older people with multiple chronic conditions; provider-level and regional variation in health expenditures, services, and outcomes for older persons; and U.S. and comparative cross-national studies of the efficiency and effectiveness of health-care systems. The branch has a specific interest in Population Genetics, exploring theintegration of genetic methods into population-based research, population genetics of aging, and the interplay between genes and environment on a population level.

Division of Geriatrics and Clinical Gerontology (DGCG)

The DGCG supports research on health and disease in the aged and research on aging over the human lifespan, including its relationships to health outcomes. DGCG comprises 3 major research areas, divided into 3 division branches—Geriatrics, Clinical Gerontology, and Clinical Trials. Program-wide emphases include research training and career development to attract new investigators to the field of aging and to further the development of active investigators in clinical medicine and biomedical research, and the application of new technologies to expand opportunities for clinical aging research.

Geriatrics focuses on health issues regarding the aged. Research emphases include multifactorial geriatric syndromes such as falls, frailty, and various types of disability; effects of comorbidity and polypharmacy; effects of age-related changes on clinical or functional disease outcomes or treatment responses; effects of physical activity on disease and disability in older persons; and the elucidation, diagnosis, and treatment of previously unappreciated pathologic changes in old age (e.g., sarcopenia, vascular stiffening, diastolic dysfunction). The Geriatrics Branch supports the Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Centers (OAICs). The OAICs conduct basic and clinical research to enhance the ability of older people to maintain their independence.

Clinical Gerontology focuses on clinically related research on aging changes over the lifespan. Research emphases include healthy aging across the lifespan (including exceptional longevity); protective factors against multiple age-related conditions; determinants of rates of progression of age-related changes that affect disease risk, particularly those for multiple age-related conditions; menopause and mid-life aging changes; translational human research to follow up findings from basic research on aging; long-term effects of current or new interventions that may be administered over a large part of the lifespan; and long-term effects of physical activity throughout the lifespan.

Clinical Trials plans and administers clinical trials on age-related issues. Research emphases include interventions to prevent or treat “geriatric syndromes,” disability, and complications of comorbidity or polypharmacy; trials to detect age- or comorbidity-related differences in responses to interventions against conditions found in middle age and old age; interventions for problems associated with menopause and other mid- and late-life changes; interventions that may affect rates of progression of age-related declines in function in early and mid-life; and interventions with protective effects against multiple age-related conditions.

Division of Neuroscience (DN)

Organized into 3 separate branches, this division fosters and supports extramural and collaborative research and training to further the understanding of neural and behavioral processes associated with the aging brain. Research on dementias of old age—in particular Alzheimer's disease—is one of the program’s highest priorities. The Division supports a number of resources and initiatives: The Alzheimer’s Disease Centers (www.alzheimers.org/adcdir.htm) and the National Alzheimer’s Coordinating Center (www.alz.washington.edu/); the National Cell Repository for Alzheimer’s Disease, and the associated Alzheimer’s Disease Genetics Initiative (http://ncrad.iu.edu/); the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (www.adni-info.org); the Translational Initiative (PAR-08-266, PAS-06-261); on behalf of the NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research, the NIH Toolbox for Neurological and Behavioral Function (http://www.nihtoolbox.org) and along with NINDS and NIMH, the Cognitive and Emotional Health Project (http://trans.nih.gov/CEHP/).

The Neurobiology of Aging Branch fosters research aimed at how the nervous system is affected by normal as well as pathological aging. In Fundamental Neuroscience, the branch supports studies on age-related structural and functional changes in brain, including cell death, energy and metabolic changes, synaptic plasticity, neural stem cells, and neurogenesis. In Integrative Neurobiology, the focus is on age-related research on neural mechanisms underlying changes in endocrine functions; neurodegenerative diseases associated with infectious agents; and neural and extra-neural interactions. Interest in Sleep and Biological Rhythm encompasses age-related studies of epidemiology, etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of sleep disorders of older people and the mechanisms underlying sleep-wakefulness, circadian and other cyclic rhythms, and their behavioral sequelae.

The Dementias of Aging Branch supports studies of etiology, pathophysiology, genetics, epidemiology, clinical course, diagnosis and functional assessment, drug discovery and development, behavioral management, and clinical trials in the dementias of later life, especially Alzheimer’s disease. In Basic Research, it supports examination of molecular, cellular, systemic, and systems aspects involved in the etiology of Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias of aging; animal models; genetics; hormonal factors; and cerebrovascular factors. Population Studies are supported in the epidemiology of cognitive decline, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and Alzheimer's disease including prevalence, incidence, and risk and protective factors. A Clinical focus on the diagnosis, treatment, and management of patients with cognitive decline, MCI, or Alzheimer's disease is also important. Here, research on diagnosis is aimed at the development and evaluation of reliable and valid multidimensional procedures and instruments for diagnosis, progression, and response to treatment. The maintenance of a research infrastructure is critical, and the Research Centers component of this branch supports Alzheimer's Disease Research Centers and Alzheimer's Disease Center Core programs, which provide a multifaceted approach to research on Alzheimer's disease, including clinical and other core services, neuropathological evaluation, basic and clinical research, professional and public information, and educational activities. It also supports the National Alzheimer's Coordinating Center and several multi-center collaborative research projects.

The Behavioral and Systems Neuroscience Branch emphasizes research on the neural and psychological mechanisms underlying age-related changes in cognition, emotions, sensory and motor function, from the level of gene to the whole organism, as well as epidemiological studies of populations. Studies of molecular, structural, and dynamic brain changes, including research on adaptation or plasticity, are of particular interest, as well as therapeutics to maintain or gain function in older age. A focus on Sensory Processes supports studies on mechanisms of normal aging and disease-related alterations in visual, auditory, somatosensory, vestibular, chemosensory functions, and pain. In an effort to understand Motor Function, research is supported on proprioception, postural control, sensory motor integration, vestibular, and movement disorders in aging, including Parkinson's disease. Efforts in Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience look at cognitive processes, including learning, memory, attention, and language. Studies of age-related changes in emotion also are supported.