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By 2050, 21% of the global population—about 2 billion individuals— will be older than 60, driving a sharp rise in age-related diseases. The University of North Texas Health Science Center at Fort Worth is helping lead the charge against this growing crisis.

On Tuesday, May 20, scientists from across the country will gather at UNTHSC for the Neurobiology of Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease Symposium.

The annual event brings together experts studying how aging contributes to conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, cataracts, glaucoma and other neurological disorders.

The symposium is free with registration and available both in person and virtually. For details and to register, visit www.unthsc.edu/NBAAD.

This year’s keynote speaker is Bérénice A. Benayoun, Ph.D., associate professor of gerontology, biological sciences, biochemistry and molecular medicine at the University of Southern California. She will present a lecture titled “Sex-Dimorphism in Aging.”  

“We are excited to welcome Dr. Benayoun. She is well known for her outstanding research in geroscience and her long-standing dedication to mentoring the next generation of scientists,” said Nathalie Sumien, Ph.D., chair of Pharmacology and Neuroscience at UNTHSC’s College of Biomedical and Translational Sciences, T32 program director and symposium organizer. 

“Her lab investigates the interplay between aging and genomic regulation, using a powerful combination of high-throughput ‘omics,’ machine learning and experimental validation,” Sumien said. “Her research includes innovative aging models such as the turquoise killifish, offering insights not commonly explored in the field.” 

The symposium will also highlight UNTHSC student research supported by The T32 Training Grant in the Neurobiology of Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease from the National Institute on Aging of the National Institutes of Health.

The T32 grant funds fellowships for Ph.D. students at the College of Biomedical and Translational Sciences who are pursuing aging-related research. Each year, fellows receive stipends, tuition support, travel funds and resources to advance their research and training.

The symposium is funded by the UNTHSC Department Pharmacology and Neuroscience and the UNTHSC Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies.

In addition to supporting the annual symposium, the T32 grant funds fellowships for Ph.D. students at the College of Biomedical and Translational Sciences who are pursuing aging-related research. Each year, fellows receive stipends, tuition support, travel funds and resources to advance their research and training.

“Multidisciplinary, research-focused training of pre-doctoral students is essential to advancing the understanding, treatment and prevention of age-related diseases,” Sumien said. “The T32 program plays a vital role in preparing the workforce to meet these growing health care challenges.”

UNTHSC—particularly the College of Biomedical and Translational Sciences—has received continuous T32 funding for 22 years. We’ve built a strong track record of success, resulting in numerous high-impact publications, prestigious awards and placement of trainees in academic and research-focused careers.” 

For some fellows, the grant opens the door to pursue novel ideas beyond the scope of their lab’s primary research.

“My primary academic interest is in how psychedelics are able to mediate long-term changes in people’s mental states,” said Rajiv Rangan, a Ph.D. student working with glaucoma researchers Tara Tovar-Vidales, Ph.D., instructor at UNTHSC’s Center for Anatomical Sciences, and Abe Clark, Ph.D., regents professor of pharmacology and neuroscience.

“As a Ph.D. student in a lab that studies glaucoma, this research was destined to wait until later in my career, but it was made possible thanks to T32 funding,” he said. “The program enabled me to pursue my own novel ideas and begin establishing myself as an independent scientist despite still being a trainee.” 

Rangan will present his research at the symposium, along with eight other T32 fellows: Kumudu Subasinghe, Olivia Young, Savanna Smith, Nathan Jones, Ammar Kapic, Amanda Tucker, Sal Essajee and Viet Dinh. 

The content of this release is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health. 

Award Number: 2T32AG020494-21