Academic Leadership Award - The Translational Rehabilitation in Geroscience Initiative

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ABSTRACT The long-term objective of this NIA Leadership Award is to create a robust, highly visible, innovative, and sustainable “interdisciplinary translational rehabilitation Geroscience-focused research and education program” as a cornerstone of research excellence at BU. This includes both bench to early-stage clinical investigations and the reverse in highly prevalent disease-specific conditions such as arthritis, stroke, and frailty. To accomplish its long-term objective, this Leadership Award will carry out three specific aims. Aim#1: Expand the knowledge in translational rehabilitation and Geroscience by catalyzing research and education through the establishment of a cohesive infrastructure, the Translational Rehabilitation in Geroscience Initiative (TRIG Initiative). Aim#2: Create an exceptional research and educational environment that fosters development of successful multidisciplinary translational rehabilitation Geroscience-based investigators with customized expertise in preclinical and clinical science. Aim#3: Establish a pilot grant program to support the most promising translational rehabilitation Geroscience-focused studies. These specific aims will be achieved through the candidate’s leadership of the TRIG Initiative, the breaking down of silos, and the meaningful collaboration with the multitude of existing resources for interdisciplinary research and education. In support of Aim 1, the TRIG Initiative will be created through active recruitment of an interdisciplinary group of scientists, clinicians, and trainees across Boston’s academic and clinical institutions and regular discussions on translational rehabilitation research and Geroscience themes. In support of Aim 2, interdisciplinary partnerships with key stakeholders across the entire university and Boston community will be developed to offer rich research and educational opportunities for the career development of students and investigators with tailored expertise in translational rehabilitation science and Geroscience (e.g., seminars, workshops, collaborative laboratory meetings, courses.) In support of Aim 3, an annual pilot grant program will fund multidisciplinary, translational research that spans between basic and early-stage clinical sciences. The candidate is an internationally recognized muscle physiologist, a leading authority on mechanisms contributing to sarcopenia, and established the mouse frailty phenotype assessment tool in order to conduct translational research to tease out the etiology of frailty. The candidate has the necessary scientific expertise, leadership skills, clinical and research training, and mentoring and teaching experience to lead the TRIG Initiative, implement new activities and curriculum, and accomplish the stated aims of this proposal. Through the support of this NIA K07 Leadership Award and leveraging an impressive array of valuable research and educational resources through BU and the Boston area, the TRIG Initiative envisions active interdisciplinary faculty and trainees engaging in collaborative research, publications and education, building translational rehabilitation Geroscience-based research that culminates in program project grant submission and awards.