The course intends to provide an up-to-date
overview of the field of aging and gerontology
While all of us intuitively know what the
aging is, many basic questions about aging are
mysterious. Is aging itself a disease, and can
we successfully intervene in the aging
process? Or is it a program that one can hack?
The course will start with a discussion of aging
systems both from the view of biologist but also
from the point of view of a system engenderer.
We will explore the scientific discoveries
made from studies of model organisms,
which have led to revelations about
the molecular biology of aging. We will look at
aging at different angles – from population
genetics to the “reliability theory”. The second
part of the course will describe methods for
studying aging, descriptions of population
aging, and theories on how and why we age
We are going to understand why older
people more likely to experience
neurodegenerative disorders, stroke, and cancer
and what kind of changes happen at the
molecular and cellular levels that are
associated with these diseases. The third part
of the course provides an in depth discussion of
the processes of aging in various body systems.
In combination with this we will discuss some
medical treatments that can extend the lifespan
of organisms as diverse as yeast and primates,
and the implications for successfully
intervening in age-related diseases. Finally,
students will explore biological changes that
occur with aging at the molecular and
organismal levels and how they can be viewed
from the perspectives of various disciplines.
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