Geriatrics Research: From Bench to Bedside
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Project Abstract This U13 conference grant application titled “Geriatrics Research: From Bench to Bedside” is a competing renewal submitted on behalf of the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) and the Geriatrics and Clinical Gerontology Branch of the National Institute on Aging (NIA). The AGS/NIA “Bench to Bedside” series, now in its 10th year, has been highly successful (see Letters of Support and Background). The overall objective of the series is to advance research on emerging geriatrics topics with potential to greatly improve clinical care or prevention for older adults. Here, we propose three conferences, each focused on a common and clinically important pair of age-related conditions. The conferences will probe basic, clinical, and translational questions relevant to reducing co-occurrence and improving health outcomes for seniors with each dyad. As the population ages, the number of Americans with multiple chronic conditions, or multimorbidity, continues to grow. Although the majority of seniors have multimorbidity, we lack an evidence base for treatments and tools that have been tested in this rapidly increasing segment of the population. We have limited understanding of shared physiological mechanisms that underlie or link age-related conditions. There is a pressing need to advance scientific knowledge and comparative effectiveness research that will improve care practices and health outcomes for people with multimorbidity. Yet multimorbidity is a heterogeneous issue, which can hinder efforts to advance an actionable research agenda. The proposed series will create an opportunity to deepen meaningful collaborations and identify and prioritize specific knowledge and need gaps by focusing on the interface between three carefully selected pairs of conditions. The proposed topics for the conference series are: 1) sensory impairment & cognitive decline, 2) osteoporosis & soft tissue (muscle/fat) disorders, and 3) cancer & cardiovascular disease. The Specific Aims are: 1) Hold three multidisciplinary conferences that will define knowledge gaps and future priorities in aging research, 2) Foster dialogue in a manner that advances high quality research and new collaboration, and 3) Foster the growth of a diverse and productive research workforce that is trained and committed to addressing these problems. Key features of each conference will be: networking across disciplines, institutes, and stakeholders; strategies to encourage participation from under-represented groups; a career development program for Rising Stars; mechanisms to ensure timely dissemination, support emerging collaborations, and sustain momentum. Our plans benefit from the organizers’ experience, prior evaluations, and lessons learned over the past decade. Additionally, feedback from participants at initial meetings will help fine-tune the program and structure of subsequent meetings. The conference series is led by an Oversight Board. A Planning Committee for each conference includes experts in relevant fields, NIA representation, and at least one junior investigator; the Planning Committee is responsible for content and delivery of the meeting, post-meeting activities, and dissemination of findings.
