Aging

Washington University's Center for Aging provides a focal point for research and programs related to aging. Designed to promote innovations in education, research, practice and community outreach, the Center supports cross-disciplinary collaboration on projects that help older adults remain healthy, empowered, active, contributing, and independent for as long as possible. The Center brings together researchers from across campus and has formed important partnerships with community organization, including OASIS and the Jewish Federation. The Center is directed by John Morris, Professor of Neurology and Director of the University's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.

Faculty Experts:

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David Carr Associate Professor of Medicine and Neurology Carr Carr's interests are in caring for older adults in outpatient and long-term care settings. His current projects include research on the safety of older drivers, and evaluating the efficacy of units dedicated to oncology acute care and cardiology acute care for the elderly. Carr is the clinical director ... Expertise: geriatrics, nutritional science, memory, aging Media assistance: (314) 286-0109 / reckessg@wustl.edu

John Morris Director and Principal Investigator, Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Department of Neurology Morris Download John C. Morris, M.D., is the Harvey A. and Dorismae Hacker Friedman Distinguished Professor of Neurology, Professor of Pathology and Immunology and of Physical Therapy, and the Director of the Alzheimer Disease Research Center, Center for Aging, the Memory and Aging Project, and the Memory Diagnostic ... Expertise: Alzheimer's disease, dementia, memory, aging, mild cognitive impairment Media assistance: (314) 286-0122 / purdym@wustl.edu

Edward Lawlor Dean and the William E. Gordon Professor Lawlor Download Edward Lawlor is a nationally-recognized expert in healthcare policy, particularly in the areas of medical indigence, health-care reform and administration, and policy for the aged and poor. His groundbreaking work in Medicare policy is recognized for its originality and insightful analysis. Lawlor's ... Expertise: health care policy, medical indigence, health care reform, health care administration, policy for the aged, policy for poor, Medicare Direct contact: (314) 935-6693 / elawlor@gwbmail.wustl.edu

Nancy Morrow-Howell Ralph and Muriel Pumphrey Professor of Social Work Nancy Morrow-Howell Download Nancy Morrow-Howell studies many issues of concern to the elderly and their families, including adequacy of care for the dependent elderly, community care plans for the elderly, and use of mental health services. She is studying the health and mental health services needed and used by older adults ... Expertise: elder care, gerontology, productive aging, depression Direct contact: (314) 935-6762 / nancymh@gwbmail.wustl.edu

Brian Carpenter Assistant Professor of Psychology in Arts & Sciences Brian Carpenter Download Carpenter's research focuses on the clinical psychology of aging, with an emphasis on family relationships in late life. Recent work explores the ways family members work together to make decisions regarding older adults. Other studies have examined whether adult children really know what their older ... Expertise: Alzheimer's disease, attachment bonds, clinical psychology of aging, death and dying, dementia, depression, doctor-patient communication, … Direct contact: (314) 935-8212 / bcarpenter@wustl.edu

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News Stories & Tip Sheets:

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Elderly driver safety Experts discuss aging's impact on ability to drive, find other transportation April 28, 2008 -- Ensuring that the elderly have access to transportation while preventing age-related driving impairments will be the focus of the eighth annual Friedman Conference on Aging, "Are We Licensed for Life? Transportation and Driving Issues in an Aging Society."

Tracking biomarkers Washington University in St. Louis and AstraZeneca announce Alzheimer's research collaboration April 17, 2008 -- The School of Medicine and the pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca (NYSE:AZN) have announced a research collaboration that aims to develop new and improved ways to diagnose and treat Alzheimer's disease. The major focus of the alliance will be biomarkers, characteristic changes in the brain and spinal fluid that physicians can use to diagnose Alzheimer's disease and track its response to treatment.

Producing plaques Researchers close in on origins of main ingredient of Alzheimer's plaques April 9, 2008 -- The ability of brain cells to take in substances from their surface is essential to the production of a key ingredient in Alzheimer's brain plaques, neuroscientists at the School of Medicine have learned. The researchers used a drug to shut down the intake process, known as endocytosis, in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease. The change led to a 70 percent drop in levels of amyloid beta, the protein fragment that clumps together to form Alzheimer's plaques.

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Related News Clips:

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Show More Aging Clips

Unhealthy Meals Dull Older Diabetics' Memory U.S. News & World Report and 5 others June 27, 2008 -- Older adults with type 2 diabetes are apt to have memory problems after eating a meal loaded with fat, but a new study has found the damage can be undone if they take antioxidant vitamins along with the unhealthy food. More study is definitely needed, said Connie Diekman, director of university nutrition at WUSTL.

Celebrex, Naproxen Won't Prevent Mental Decline U.S. News & World Report and 9 others May 13, 2008 -- Contrary to prior studies, a new trial shows that daily use of two popular pain-relieving drugs, Celebrex and naproxen, does not prevent cognitive decline in people with a family history of Alzheimer's disease. WUSTL neurology professor John Morris, who is director of WUSTL's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center and a member of the medical and scientific advisory council for the Alzheimer's Association, comments.

Study Details New Molecular Approach to Preventing Alzheimer's The Washington Post and 7 others April 25, 2008 -- German researchers are reporting a new approach to the possible prevention of the molecular "debris" that's associated with the development of Alzheimer's disease. WUSTL neurology professor James Galvin called the German research "a novel idea."

Longevity quest moves slowly from lab to life MSNBC.com and 2 others April 23, 2008 -- Human studies plus laboratory work with yeast, worms, flies and rodents are propelling scientists closer to understanding what causes aging, how to delay it -- and how to translate such progress from the lab to real life. One of the studies mentioned was the first calorie restriction clinical trials conducted by WUSTL and LSU.

Researchers zero in on Alzheimer's plaque origin Agence France Presse and 13 others April 10, 2008 -- WUSTL researchers have found that a key ingredient for the formation of Alzheimer's plaques is produced by a brain cell activity. WUSTL neurology professor and the study's first author John Cirrito comments.

McCain works to answer age and health questions Boston Globe and 5 others March 27, 2008 -- David Carr, clinical director of WUSTL's division of geriatrics and nutritional science, said the fact that McCain has gone five years without a melanoma recurrence is good news.

Staying in shape 'hard for women' BBC News (UK) and 1 others March 26, 2008 -- Differences in the way male and female bodies metabolise food means older women do not use protein as effectively to maintain muscle, a new study by University of Nottingham and WUSTL researchers found. The study was published in the journal PLOS One.

The Cataracts Are Gone -- and So Is the Need for Glasses U.S. News & World Report Dec. 17, 2007 -- For the millions of baby boomers who will eventually need cataract surgery, here's some cheering news: New types of implantable lenses promise to restore your youthful vision. Unlike the standard single-power lenses doctors have been implanting for 30 years, the newer multifocal intraocular lenses and accommodating lenses allow patients to see near, far, and in between--and even to shed their glasses. WUSTL ophthalmology professor Jay Pepose talks about one of the options.

Researchers Pinpoint Link Between Caloric Restriction and Longevity CBC News (Canada) and 7 others Sept. 21, 2007 -- Harvard researchers report in the Sept. 21 issue of Cell that they have uncovered a molecular clue that seems to explain why cutting calories might lengthen your life. It turns out that mitochondria guard against cell death, and two specific genes within the mitochondria actually carry out that task. Mitochondria are compartments within a cell that are dedicated to energy production, and their loss is thought to be a major cause of aging. WUSTL molecular biology and pharmacology professor Shin-ichiro Imai comments on the Harvard study.

Humor Hampered By Aging Brain? CBSNews.com and 1 others Aug. 6, 2007 -- Age-related brain changes may make it harder for older adults to understand humor, a new study shows. The study comes from WUSTL psychology graduate student Wingyun Mak and psychology professor Brian Carpenter.

Joke comprehension may decrease with age, study at St. Louis university suggests International Herald Tribune (France) and 206 others July 11, 2007 -- It's no laughing matter: a new study suggests older adults have a harder time getting jokes as they age. The research indicates that because older adults may have greater difficulty with cognitive flexibility, abstract reasoning and short-term memory, they also have greater difficulty with tests of humor comprehension. The research conducted by WUSTL graduate student Wingyun Mak and WUSTL psychology professor Brian Carpenter. Findings were published earlier this month in the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society.

How Depression Weakens the Brain The Wall Street Journal July 3, 2007 -- In findings that highlight the importance of mood and stress to maintaining a healthy brain, researchers and psychiatrists say that a bout of depression may raise the risks of developing dementia later in life. Article mentions research by WUSTL psychiatry professor Yvette Sheline. Her study showed that people with more days of depression untreated by antidepressants, at any point in their lives, exhibit an average 10% reduction in volume in the hippocampus, which may result in subtle changes to their memory capabilities, The study appeared in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

How to Talk About Aging Newsweek June 11, 2007 -- A recent survey by AARP found that nearly 70 percent of adult children have not talked to their parents about issues related to aging. Some children avoid this most intimate of conversations because they believe their parents don't want to talk. Others think they know what their parents want. WUSTL psychology professor Brian Carpenter is one of the experts offering advice.

Eldercare Choices Revive Sibling Fights Associated Press Online and 59 others Jan. 17, 2007 -- With about 20 million Americans providing care for a parent or in-law, such family dramas often with financial questions lurking unsaid are playing out across the country. WUSTL psychology professor Brian Carpenter comments on old family dynamics.

On the scales: Exercising helps dieters preserve bone strength The New York Times Jan. 2, 2007 -- When overweight people lose weight, they often lose bone mineral density as well, increasing their risk for osteoporosis. But new research led by medical professor and lead author Dennis Villareal suggests that losing weight with exercise rather than calorie restriction can preserve bone strength. The results of the study appear in the Dec. 11 issue of The Archives of Internal Medicine.

Diabetes, obesity can increase your Alzheimer's risk CNN.com Nov. 7, 2006 -- November is National Alzheimer's Disease month. CNN medical correspondent Judy Fortin talked about the illness with John Morris, director of WUSTL's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center. He said besides old age, diabetes and obesity are also risk factors for developing Alzheimer's.

Diagnosis: Dementia May Follow Higher Weight Loss in Aging The New York Times Sept. 19, 2006 -- Weight loss in people over 65 can be the result of normal aging, but new research suggests that it may also be an early indicator of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia. WUSTL neurology professor and senior author John Morris comments on the study that appears in the September issue of Archives of Neurology.

Funding for Alzheimer's research is key, scientists say Kansas City Star and 17 others July 5, 2006 -- Scientists who study Alzheimer's disease say they are on the brink of finding treatments to slow or stop it. A few weeks ago, Congress voted to reduce funding for research on Alzheimer's disease. WUSTL scientists commenting are neurology professor Anne Fagan Niven, neurology professor and chair David Holtzman, and Tom Meuser, director of education and rural outreach at WUSTL's Alzheimer's Disease Research Center.

The hidden dangers of belly fat MSNBC.com May 24, 2006 -- While we all know that excess pounds increase your risk of certain diseases, you may not realize that where you carry the weight makes a big difference. Researchers have found that abdominal fat could be even more hazardous to your health. WUSTL nutrition expert Samuel Klein, director of the Center for Human Nutrition, explains why.

Reducing your daily calories by 40%: The science behind 'starvation' diets Wall Street Journal and 3 others Feb. 1, 2006 -- Earlier this month, one of the first human studies of calorie restriction showed that people on the strict diet had younger hearts than normal-weight people on a typical Western diet. This new research shows that calorie-restriction diets -- which cut calories by as much as 40% of your normal intake -- may help you live a longer life. WUSTL nutritional studies researcher Luigi Fontana comments.

News Features:

University-wide Center for Aging established
[St. Louis, Mo., Feb. 22, 2002] — To meet the needs of the increasing population of older Americans, Washington University has established a new, University-wide Center for Aging. This collaborative effort will apply the University's resources to help older adults achieve a more satisfying quality of life. "The center's focus is on productive aging," says John C. Morris, M.D., director of the center and the Harvey A. and Dorismae Hacker Friedman Professor of Neurology in the School of Medicine. "Our goal is to enable older adults to remain engaged and live happier, healthier and longer lives."

Productive aging is in; notion of frailty, dependence is out
[St. Louis, Mo., April 2002] — April is Older Americans Month, and a specialist in gerontological social work at Washington University in St. Louis says that the common perception of old age — frailty and dependence — is out, and productive aging is in. "For years, our perspective on old age has been dominated by the three Ds — Depression, Dementia and Dependency," says Nancy Morrow-Howell, Ph.D., a professor in the university's George Warren Brown School of Social Work.