University Research Center Receives Grant for Longevity Studies
UC Riverside Receives $2.7 Million NIH Allocation to Develop Interventions for Healthy Aging
RIVERSIDE, Calif., Nov. 25, 2024 – The University of California, Riverside, has secured a significant federal investment to spearhead breakthrough research in longevity science, receiving a $2.7 million allocation from a newly announced $45 million National Institutes of Health grant aimed at extending human healthspan and delaying age-related disease.
The five-year award, distributed through the NIH’s National Institute on Aging, establishes the Longevity Consortium, a multi-institutional research initiative focused on developing evidence-based interventions to promote healthy aging. UCR’s portion will fund computational biology and drug discovery research that identifies genetic and molecular factors contributing to exceptional longevity. The project arrives as the U.S. faces a demographic shift with profound healthcare implications—according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 14 million Americans are projected to develop Alzheimer’s disease by 2060, making the need for preventative aging interventions increasingly urgent.
Professor Thomas Girke, a computational biologist in UCR’s Department of Botany and Plant Sciences, will serve as lead principal investigator for the university’s role in the consortium. His research team will analyze massive genomic datasets from centenarian populations and so-called “blue zones”—regions such as Loma Linda, California; Okinawa, Japan; and Mediterranean communities where residents routinely live beyond 90 years with minimal chronic disease. By mapping the genetic, molecular, and environmental signatures of these groups, researchers aim to pinpoint biological mechanisms that confer resilience against dementia, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.
The consortium will prioritize drug repurposing strategies to accelerate clinical translation, testing promising compounds first in cell cultures and then in lifespan studies with mouse models. Candidates demonstrating efficacy may advance directly to human trials or, in some cases, be formulated as dietary supplements, which benefit from expedited regulatory pathways. This approach dramatically reduces development timelines compared to traditional drug discovery.
“Drug repurposing allows us to identify effective interventions without starting from scratch,” said Girke, whose lab specializes in leveraging existing biomedical datasets for therapeutic discovery. “Because the population is graying, there is a higher risk for many age-related diseases. There is no cure for many of these, but it is possible to slow their advancement, and there is an urgent need to do so.”
The research will also integrate UCR’s renowned expertise in plant sciences, exploring how natural compounds derived from botanical sources might contribute to longevity-promoting therapies. This cross-disciplinary synergy positions the university to make unique contributions at the intersection of agricultural innovation and medical science.
Market data underscores the economic imperative driving this research. Age-related conditions already account for the majority of U.S. healthcare expenditures, with the CDC reporting that delaying the onset of dementia alone could save billions annually in caregiving and medical costs. The global longevity economy is projected to exceed $30 trillion by 2026, encompassing everything from therapeutics to age-tech innovations, according to industry analysts. Federal investment in foundational science remains critical to capturing this economic opportunity while improving quality of life for aging populations.
The Longevity Consortium brings together elite research institutions nationwide, with co-principal investigator Nicholas Schork of the Translational Genomics Research Institute coordinating the broader initiative. Additional project leads include Richard Miller of the University of Michigan, Fred Gage of the Salk Institute, and Paola Sebastiani of Tufts Medical Center, among others.
“This research is about more than just adding years to life; it’s about adding life to years,” Girke emphasized. “By understanding the mechanisms of healthy aging, we’re paving the way for a future where age-related diseases are delayed or even prevented.”
The grant strengthens UCR’s growing commitment to geroscience research and creates new opportunities for faculty collaboration across departments. University administrators anticipate the funding will attract additional federal and private investment, establishing the campus as a regional hub for aging innovation.
About UC Riverside
The University of California, Riverside is a major research institution and one of the nation’s most diverse public universities, serving more than 26,000 students. Known for pioneering work in plant biology, computational sciences, and health disparities research, UCR is Carnegie-classified as a doctoral university with very high research activity. The university’s commitment to community-engaged research addresses pressing challenges in public health, agriculture, and environmental sustainability.
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