Epidemiology and Biostatistics of Aging

描述（由申请人提供）：这是自1996年以来由NIA资助的老龄化流行病学和生物统计学机构培训补助金的5年续期申请。这个多学科培训计划的目标是培养优秀的博士前和博士后候选人，领导下一代定量研究科学家解决我们人口老龄化的健康问题。该计划由流行病学家和生物统计学家联合进行，致力于将这两个学科的学生聚集在一起，以发展对该领域的进一步发展至关重要的内容领域和方法学方面的专业知识。学生被培训为研究人员，他们可以进行前沿的描述性，分析性和实验性研究，并制定，实施和评估预防计划，以压缩老龄化人口的发病率。该计划是基于流行病学和生物统计学的部门，但涉及整个公共卫生，医学和护理学院的其他部门的教师。一名流行病学项目主任，一名生物统计学联合主任，两个部门的5名副主任和21名其他核心教员将担任学员的顾问。有一个核心课程预期的博士前学员，并定制博士后学员。受训人员，一半来自流行病学，一半来自生物统计学，参加每两周一次的研究进展会议，关于老龄化的研讨会，以及专门针对该计划的实践，以及致力于多学科协作技能的培训。研究经验和导师的选择，以确保高质量的研究值得同行评议的出版物在老龄化研究。我们建议继续培养学生的流行病学和生物统计学方法，以及他们的应用在老年人的健康状况，包括慢性疾病，合并症和残疾的原因和后果的重要问题。学生在设计和进行大规模观察性前瞻性研究方面发展专业知识;纵向数据分析;年龄相关变化的遗传和分子原因;脆弱的表型，后果和病因学，以及认知能力下降;用于测量和分析复杂老年结果的统计方法，如脆弱和残疾;老龄化的社会流行病学;以及将研究成果转化为老年人有效预防的项目。我们现在建议丰富和扩大重点，包括在老年人群中的临床试验的设计和实施的研究，并将生理学纳入健康和疾病进展的纵向流行病学研究。学员们的工作效率很高，他们的研究获得了很大的认可，并在强调老龄化的有吸引力的职位上开始了他们的职业生涯。毕业生将成为多学科研究团队的有效领导者，解决与美国人口老龄化相关的健康问题。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): This is an application for a 5-year renewal of an institutional training grant in the Epidemiology and Biostatistics of Aging, funded by NIA since 1996. This multidisciplinary training program's goals are to train outstanding predoctoral and postdoctoral candidates to lead the next generation of quantitative research scientists addressing the health problems of our aging population. This program is conducted jointly by epidemiologists and biostatisticians with a strong commitment to bringing together students in both disciplines to develop expertise in both the content areas and methodologies that are essential to the further development of the field. Students are trained as researchers who can conduct leading-edge descriptive, analytic and experimental studies and develop, implement and evaluate prevention programs to compress the morbidity experience of the aging population. The program is based in the Departments of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, but involves faculty from other departments throughout the Schools of Public Health, Medicine, and Nursing. A Program Director in Epidemiology, a Co-Director from Biostatistics, 5 Associate Directors from the two Departments, and 21 other core faculty members will serve as Advisors for the trainees. There is a core curriculum expected of predoctoral trainees, and customized to postdoctoral trainees. Trainees, half Epidemiology and half from Biostatistics, participate in biweekly research in progress conferences, seminars on aging, and practica specific to this program, and training dedicated to skills in multidisciplinary collaboration. Research experiences and mentors are selected to ensure high quality research worthy of peer-reviewed publication in aging research. We propose to continue to train students in epidemiologic and biostatistical method, and their application to important questions in the health status of older adults, including causes and consequences of chronic diseases, comorbidity, and disability. Students develop expertise in design and conduct of large-scale observational prospective studies; longitudinal data analysis; the genetic and molecular causes of age-related changes; the phenotype, consequences and etiology of frailty, and cognitive decline; statistical methods for the measurement and analysis of complex geriatric outcomes, such as frailty and disability; the social epidemiology of aging; and programs that translate research findings into effective prevention for older adults. We now propose to enrich and expand the emphases to include study in the design and conduct of clinical trials in older populations and the integration of physiology into longitudinal epidemiologic studies of the progression of health and disease. Trainees have been highly productive, gained substantial recognition for their research, and launched their careers in appealing positions with emphases on aging. Graduates will be effective leaders of multidisciplinary research teams tackling the health problems associated with the aging US population.