WEBINAR SERIES—Science of Aging—The Challenges of Sarcopenia: Definition, Underlying Mechanisms, Interventions and Outcomes

May 19, 2021
11 a.m. EDT

Charlotte A. Peterson, PhD, of the University of Kentucky, and Jack Guralnik, MD, PhD, MPH, of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, will discuss the challenges of sarcopenia. They will define the disease and provide an in-depth overview of the underlying mechanisms its pathology. Potential therapeutic interventions and disease outcomes for patients will also be explored.

Presenters

Charlotte A. Peterson, PhD, professor and director of the Center for Muscle Biology at the University of Kentucky, engages in research that focuses on elucidation of cellular and molecular mechanisms controlling skeletal muscle structure and function. She is funded by the National Institutes of Health and by the U.S. Department of Defense to study the role of adult stem cells in muscle maintenance and adaptation; the influence of obesity and inflammation on muscle function; muscle changes in response to blast injuries resulting in retained metal in muscle; interventions to maintain muscle health in the face of chronic disease and during aging; and strategies to improve exercise outcomes in older adults. Peterson’s long-term goal is to develop new strategies to prevent frailty and loss of functional independence.

Jack Guralnik, MD, PhD, MPH, is a professor of epidemiology and public health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He spent 25 years performing research at the National Institute on Aging, and was chief of the intramural Laboratory of Epidemiology, Demography and Biometry. His primary areas of interest in the epidemiology of aging include the study of physical functioning and disability, the benefits of physical activity, the prevalence and impact of multiple co-existing chronic conditions, factors associated with healthy aging, methods of assessment of health and functional status, and trends in demographic and health status characteristics of the older population. He has published over 800 journal articles and book chapters in these areas of aging research, and has taught and lectured extensively in the U.S. and abroad.