On November 14, the Salk Institute introduced its Optimizing Aging Initiative.

Aging is the biggest risk factor for most diseases, including Alzheimer’s, cancer, diabetes and others. The new initiative uses a multidisciplinary approach to understand the fundamentals of aging and how interactions between the major systems of the body contribute to age-related diseases.

The event featured a guest presentation from Mark Collins, president of the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research, an overview of the Initiative by Salk President Rusty Gage, and a panel discussion with Salk scientists Professor and Chief Science Officer/Vice President Martin Hetzer; Professors Jan Karlseder, Vicki Lundblad and Gerald Shadel; and Associate Professor Nicola Allen.