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Contact: 210-567-3080 |
San Antonio becomes Nathan Shock Aging Center (8/8/95)The National Institute on Aging recently awarded a grant of $1.6 million to establish a Nathan Shock Aging Center at The University of Texas Health Science Center and Audie L. Murphy Memorial Veterans Hospital. The center, one of only two in the nation, will allow researchers at the Health Science Center and Audie Murphy Hospital to conduct pioneering research into the biological processes that control aging and diseases of aging. The five-year grant will permit the Health Science Center to develop transgenic animal models for investigators in San Antonio that are unavailable to other scientists. These animal models will provide local researchers with a unique opportunity to identify genes that underlie aging and disease processes. "The center was built on the recognized strengths at San Antonio in basic biomedical research in aging," said Arlan Richardson, PhD, the center's director. Dr. Richardson is professor of physiology at the Health Science Center and a career research scientist with the Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC) at Audie Murphy hospital. According to Dr. Richardson, "The center was possible because of the discoveries made at the Health Science Center by research teams lead by Dr. Edward J. Masoro in the department of physiology and Dr. Barbara Bowman in the department of cellular and structural siology." Dr. Masoro, the center's co-director, and his colleagues conducted groundbreaking studies on the relationship between dietary restriction and longevity. Dr. Bowman and her colleagues developed the nation's first transgenic mouse facility dedicated to studying aging. The Health Science Center is recognized internationally as one of the leading universities in aging research in biomedicine. More than 100 faculty members are actively involved in studying aging and related subjects. The other Nathan Shock center will be at the University of Washington in Seattle. The Audie Murphy Hospital GRECC is one of 16 "centers of excellence" in the Department of Veterans Affairs. The centers are designed to conduct research on aging in a clinical context and improve the care and quality of life of older veteran patients. Contact: Jim Barrett (210) 567-2570
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