Center for Translational Research on Aging

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ABSTRACT Kuakini Medical Center (Kuakini) proposes to develop a multidisciplinary Hawai'i-based Center of Biomedical Research Excellence (COBRE) for translational research on aging. This Center will draw on the most promising junior investigators from across the state with cross-institutional and interdisciplinary collaborative efforts between Kuakini, the University of Hawaii John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM), and major academic research centers and medical centers. It will cross institutional borders to promote research aimed at improving human healthy lifespan (healthspan) and ameliorating major age-related diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, cancer and dementia, in people of Hawaii, the U.S. mainland and around the world. The Center will build upon the strengths of Kuakini's five-decade track record of NIH-funded research, its 420,000-specimen biorepository, and its existing strengths in aging research, notably, the 51-year long Kuakini Honolulu Heart Program (Kuakini HHP) and Kuakini Honolulu-Asia Aging Study (Kuakini HAAS), and Kuakini HHP Offspring Study. This will advance translational aging research and foster meaningful solutions toward the disease and disability associated with the aging process. We will pursue this long-term goal via the following specific aims:  Specific Aim 1: Create a world class, innovative, interdisciplinary Center for Translational Research on Aging (CTRA) by building on the existing rare and valuable Kuakini Honolulu Heart Program (Kuakini HHP) and its related studies, existing Kuakini HHP Offspring Study, and research infrastructure.  Specific Aim 2 - Advance the genomic, biological and clinical science of aging, and enhance the world class character of our proposed Center, by enlisting accomplished senior scientists to mentor promising Hawaii-based junior investigators in interdisciplinary research and career development.  Specific Aim 3 - Elevate the capacity of our Center by: i) creating a state-of-the-art Clinical and Translational Core, and ii) collaborating with other Centers of Biomedical Research Excellence. The Clinical and Translational Core will expand upon the strong epidemiologic, genomic and clinical work of Kuakini HHP and related studies and the Kuakini HHP Offspring Study; benefit investigators in the State of Hawaii and abroad, and foster translation of basic science and clinical findings into novel applications and therapeutics for healthy aging. COBRE funding will be leveraged with institutional commitments to accelerate the development of research excellence. The Center will collaborate with three other Hawaii-based COBREs, the COBRE Mouse Phenotyping Core, and the INBRE-funded Bioinformatics and Biostatistics Core at the University of Hawaii.