Abstract

Aging is a complex process involving the interplay of molecular, cellular, physiological, and behavioral functions. Understanding the mechanisms of aging and longevity, and developing interventions that promote healthy aging, require large-scale, multi-dimensional datasets, ranging from “omic” analyses to studies of behavioral and demographic trends. This seminar will highlight ongoing research in the Center for Aging and Longevity Studies at UCSB. We hope to explore avenues for potential collaborations between longevity researchers and experts in probability, statistics, data science, and AI applications with the goal of advancing predictive models and analytical tools that deepen our understanding of aging and extension of healthy lifespan.

Short bio

Dr. Joel Rothman is Distinguished Professor, Wilcox Family Chair in Biotechnology, and founding Director of the Center for Aging and Longevity Studies at UC Santa Barbara. He received doctoral training at UC San Francisco and the University of Oregon and carried out post-doctoral studies at the Medical Research Council’s Laboratory of Molecular Biology, Cambridge, UK. He was Chair of the Department of MCD Biology and Director of the Biomolecular Science and Engineering Program at UCSB and also held faculty positions at the University of Wisconsin, Madison and the University of Auckland, New Zealand. Dr. Rothman has served on editorial boards of Current Biology, Apoptosis, Developmental Dynamics, and Developmental Biology and as chair of NIH grant panels, member of the Damon Runyon Cancer Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship Award Committee, Trustee of the Cancer Foundation of Santa Barbara, co-director of the international Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory Embryology course, and Director of the UCSB Howard Hughes Medical Institute Undergraduate Education Program and the UCSB NIH MARC Program. For over three decades his laboratory has investigated aging, longevity, and regenerative medicine, supported by research grants from the NIH and many other agencies. He is an elected Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Short overview of CALS

The Center for Aging and Longevity Studies (CALS) is dedicated to improving human lives by extending the period of healthy lifespan, preventing or forestalling age-related diseases, and guiding the impact of extended longevity on society. CALS is among the most interdisciplinary research centers at UCSB, encompassing 40 faculty and research groups across 17 academic departments in the College of Engineering and all three divisions of Letters and Science. The Center includes over 350 affiliated researchers engaged in studies in Biomedicine, Engineering, Computer Science, Chemistry, Physics, Economics, Actuarial Research, Psychology, Social Sciences, and the Humanities. Research in the Center is advanced with high-throughput facilities that catalyze the discovery of preventive interventions in aging. The Center is also developing a clearinghouse of reliable information for the public, allowing them to make informed decisions about measures for improving healthy aging based on rigorous science.