Meetings
Future Meetings
Chicago Workshop on Biomarker Collection in Population-Based Health and Aging Research
Sponsored by the University of Chicago and Northwestern University
June 9th & 10th,2005 : The Gleacher Center,The University of ChicagoDetails: http://biomarkers.uchicago.edu/chicagobiomarkerworkshop.htm
The Value and Use of Genetic Indicators in Population Surveys
Arranged by the Demography of Aging Centers - Biomarker Network
November 18th 2005 (9 AM-5 PM)– The opening day of the Gerontological Society of America meetings, New Orleans, LAThe purpose of this meeting will be to gather experts in the use and colection of genetic markers, experts in population aging and persons collecting data from aging samples.
For information contact : crimmin@usc.edu
Past Meetings
Inflammation Workshop
Meeting sponsored by USC/ICLA Center on Biodemography and Population Health
November 17th, 2004 (1-5PM): School of Medicine - University of California at Los Angeles
The purpose of this meeting was to bring together researchers whose work is focused on inflammation. We gathered biologists, epidemiologists, demographers, geneticists, and physicians to discuss their approaches to the study of inflammation. We included people who focus on aging and those who focus on the early period of life
Biomarkers in Population Studies: With Emphasis on Links between Early and Late Life
Joint meeting :
USC/UCLA Center on Biodemography and Population Health and
University of Pennsylvania Aging Research Center – Mellon Biomarker Network
June, 17 & 18, 2004 : Andrus Gerontology Center – University of Southern CaliforniaThursday, June 17, 2004
Session 1: Introduction (8:30 AM)
Participant self-introductions, clarifying area of research, issues relevant to measurement of biomarkers, and type of data collected or analyzed.Session 2: Conceptual Issues (9:15 AM - 12:00 PM )
1. Conceptual Overview and importance of Latin America, Beth Soldo and Eileen Crimmins
2. How do disease, infection, and nutrition interact in development and aging? Tuck Finch and Thom McDade
3. How do genes affect these relationships? What are the causes and consequences of inter- and intra- population differences in gene frequencies, particularly those involved in growth, reproduction, nutrition, and immune function. Tuck Finch
4. What role can we expect natural selection to have played in the design of physiological responses to environmental and phenotypic condition and of physiological life history? Hillard Kaplan and Thom McDade
5. How do changing circumstances during the life course (e.g. poor nutrition in childhood and low exercise/overweight in adulthood) affect the aging process? Carlos Aguilar-Salinas, Beth Soldo and Duncan Thomas
6. What are the most sensitive periods for environmental and developmental effects on long-term outcomes?Session 3: Physiological Systems (1:00 - 2:45 PM ) - Teresa Seeman
This discussion of multiple systems should be oriented to address the following issues:
1. How is the efficiency/efficacy of each this system affected by (i) genes (ii) nutrition (iii) changing life circumstances (iv) selection?
2. What are the mechanisms by which each affects development and disease processes (to the extent we can define mechanisms, either empirically or theoretically, the task of specifying biomarkers of highest priority should be less daunting).
3. What are the reliable indicators of these processes
A. Cardiovascular
B. Metabolic System
C. Central and peripheral nervous system - Sympathetic Nervous System - HPA Axis - Teresa Seeman
D. Immune - John Marchalonis
E. Inflammation - Perry Hu
F. Hormones - Ben Campbell
G. Reproductive
H. Skeletal
I. Kidneys, liver, pancreas, Carlos Aguilar-Salinas
J. Brain - What are the most important life-cycle factors affecting cognitive development and cognitive change with aging? Luis Miguel Gutiérrez-Robledo and Elizabeth Zelinski
K. Multi System approach - Allostatic Load - Teresa SeemanSession 4: Markers of Developmental and Environmental History (3:00 - 5:00 PM )
Criteria for evaluation: validity, reliability, ease of administration in a population, effect size.
A. Fluctuating Asymmetry
B. Ridge Count
C. Anthropometry
D. Pathogen Burden
E. OtherFriday, June 18, 2004
Session 5: Markers of Current Condition (All day Friday : 8:30 AM - 3:00 PM)
Discussion of each should include method effects (whole vs. dried blood), precision, ease of administration in a population, effect size, costs, and gains of one vs, other marker of same function, such as CRP and IL-6
1. Functioning of major systems discussed above
2. Genetic
3. Inflammation CRP, Il-6, others
4. Anthropometry
5. Metabolic Functioning - Blood sugar, Glycosylated Hb, insulin resistance
6. Anemia - Hb
7. Lifetime Infection - sed rate, blood cell counts
8. Immune sufficiency, (Epstein-Barr), other
9. Strength and Endurance
10. Nutritional status
11. Cognitive status
12. Functional Abilities