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Overview
Given the tremendous growth in the size of the population over aged 65 throughout the world, a significant need exists for scientific advancements that sustain and improve successful aging. The UCSD Sam and Rose Stein Institute for Research on Aging serves as a catalyst in this process by focusing the world-renowned research talent at UC San Diego in an interdisciplinary approach to understanding and facilitating the healthy aging process. The Stein Institute is dedicated to the development and application of the latest advances in biomedical and behavioral science knowledge to issues of successful aging and the prevention and reduction of the burden of disability and disease in late life. More than 120 faculty researchers are a part of the Stein Institute, all with a wide range of expertise and representing multiple departments on the UCSD campus, ranging from bioengineering and biology to family and preventive medicine, ophthalmology and neurosciences. Together, these individuals are working together as a team to understand the complex aging process and various age-related diseases. In addition, the Stein Institute has recently focused its attention on studying successful aging. From the lab to the individual, these studies are focused on what goes right in the aging process, particularly pertaining to the brain. Studying health and well-being and how and why people age without significant impairments should be at least as important as studying why people become ill. Findings from these studies will lead to advances in preventive approaches to aging-related issues.
Our Focus: Successful Cognitive and Emotional Aging
Most studies of aging emphasize the negatives: disability, dementia, depression… At the UCSD Stein Institute for Research on Aging, researchers are focused on studying successful or healthy aging. From the lab to the individual, these studies are focusing on what goes right in the aging process, particularly pertaining to the brain.
Aging, in general, and successful aging in particular, is a complex, multifactorial phenomenon that seems to be partially regulated by our genes and also influenced by the environment. Much of the earlier research on longevity studying large groups of older adults over time has focused on physical or biological aging. Understanding what defines and predicts successful or healthy aging requires contributions from basic sciences like neurobiology and genetics, along with input from clinical and social scientists, such as physicians and medical anthropologists. Large-scale investigation of successful cognitive aging using state-of-the-art methodology and investigators from various related disciplines has been a relatively recent phenomenon.
It is the specific aim of the Stein Institute to study the predictors / associations of successful cognitive and emotional aging among independently-living adults over age 50. Why? The future of aging will increasingly depend on brain health, much of what we know about successful aging depends on the brain, and UCSD is a worldwide hub for cognitive neuroscience. To learn more about the Stein Institute’s interest in successful cognitive and emotional aging, click here .
A Team of Researchers
More than 120 faculty researchers are a part of the Stein Institute for Research on Aging, all with a wide range of expertise and representing multiple departments on the UCSD campus, ranging from bioengineering and biology to family and preventive medicine, ophthalmology and neurosciences. Together, these individuals are working together as a team to understand the complex aging process and various age-related diseases. For a list of affiliated faculty members, please click here.
Participate in Studies
Be a part of science and become involved with the various studies taking place here at the UCSD Stein Institute for Research on Aging and within the School of Medicine. Below is a list of studies currently recruiting participants!
Understanding the Daily Experiences, Activities and Emotions in Older Adults
The Day Reconstruction Project is seeking participants at least 60 years of age to understand the daily experiences, activities and associated emotions in older adults by using a diary. Click here to learn more about this study
What Changes in the Brain As we Age
Department of Radiology is recruiting healthy right-handed adults, between the ages of 21 – 30 years, or over 65 years, for a research study investigating how the brain changes with age. Click here to learn more about this study
Help Us Understand How Stress Affects Health
The Alzheimer Caregiver Study at UCSD is currently enrolling men and women who are married and who are 55 years of age or older to participate in a study examining the relationship between stress and health. Click here to learn more about this study
Dr. Colin Depp, Stein Institute for Research on Aging faculty member and researcher at UCSD, is seeking participants at least 60 years of age to take part in a study to understand the daily experiences, activities and associated emotions in older adults using a diary method known as the Day Reconstruction Method. Using a new survey procedure, you will be asked to recall the previous day's events and answer a series of questions about your day's experiences. The majority of the assessment is self administered and can be completed at home. If you are interested in participating or have additional questions, please call Dr. Depp at 858-822-4251 or Ashley Cain at 858-822-7485.
Researchers want to see if Alzheimer’s caregivers and non-caregivers show any differences in their cardiovascular functioning. If eligible, a health professional will visit your home to provide an annual medical checkup (for up to 5 years), and information from this checkup can be shared with your primary care physician. This checkup includes taking your blood pressure, drawing blood samples to be checked for factors associated with cardiovascular risk (e.g., cholesterol, glucose, triglycerides), and an ultrasound scan to determine the health of your carotid and brachial arteries. You are strongly encouraged to participate, whether you are feeling healthy or not, because we want to know what influences people to feel certain ways. You may be eligible to participate if you are 55 years of age or older, married and living at home with your spouse and your spouse is either: a) generally healthy, without Alzheimer’s disease, or b) diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease (or probable Alzheimer’s disease). Eligible individuals who choose to participate will receive an annual compensation of $100. To inquire about this program, please call (858) 534-3457, (858) 534-3495, or (858) 822-5925.
Department of Radiology is recruiting healthy right-handed adults, between the ages of 21 – 30 years, or over 65 years, for a research study investigating how the brain changes with age. Your brainwaves will be recorded using magnetoencephalography (MEG) while you perform attention and memory tasks. Pictures of your brain will also be taken with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Researchers are looking for healthy individuals with no history of serious medical, neurological, or psychiatric disorders. Individuals with metal implants (such as pins or screws, pacemakers, etc) are not eligible to participate. You will receive $15 dollars per hour for participating, and a bonus equal to another $5 per hour for completing the study. Participation will involve up to three 2-hour sessions. If interested, please contact Michele Perry at (858) 822-1818 to see if you qualify for the study.
Publications
Interested in finding out more about the results of the Stein Institute for Research on Aging’s current research on successful aging? Click on any of the links below to read articles recently published in select academic journals. You may also contact us at (858) 534-6299 or steininstitute@ucsd.edu for further information.
- Building blocks of successful aging: A focus group study of older adults’ perceived contributors to successful aging
(Reichstadt J, Depp CA, Palinkas LA, Folsom DP and Jeste DV: Building blocks of successful aging: A focus group study of older adults’ perceived contributors to successful aging. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 15:194-201, 2007)
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Correlates of self-rated successful aging among community-dwelling older adults
(Montross LP, Depp C, Daly J, Reichstadt J, Golshan S, Moore D, Sitzer D, Jeste DV: Correlates of self-rated successful aging among community-dwelling older adults. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 14(1): 43-51, 2006. )
- Definitions and Predictors of Successful Aging: A Comprehensive Review of Larger Quantitative Studies
(Depp C and Jeste DV: Definitions and predictors of successful aging: Acomprehensive review of the literature. American Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 14:6-20, 2006. )
- Feeling fine at hundred and three: Secrets of successful aging
(Jeste DV: Feeling fine at hundred and three: Secrets of successful aging. American Journal of Preventive Medicine 28:323-324, 2005)
- Recent advances in research on successful or healthy aging
(Depp C, Glatt SJ and Jeste DV: Recent advances in research on successful or healthy aging. Current Psychiatry Reports 9(1); 7-13, 2007.)
- Self-administered cognitive screening of a community-dwelling successfully aging cohort
(Moore DJ, Sitzer D, Depp CA, Montross LP, Reichstadt J, Lebowitz BD and Jeste DV: Self-administered cognitive screening of a community-dwelling successfully aging cohort. International Journal of Geriatric Psychiatry 22(4): 327-331, 2007. )
- Successful aging: From phenotype to genotype
(Glatt SJ, Chayavichitsilp P, Depp C, Schork NJ, and Jeste DV: Successful aging: From phenotype to genotype. Biological Psychiatry 62: 282-293, 2007.)
- Successful aging in Shanghai, China
(Li C, Wu , Jin H, Zhang X, Xue H, He Y, Xiao S, Jeste DV and Zhang M: Successful aging in Shanghai, China: Definition, distribution and related factors. International Psychogeriatrics 18: 551-563, 2006.)
- The intersection of mental health and successful aging
(Depp CA, Vahia I and Jeste DV: The intersection of mental health and successful aging. Psychiatric Times 24(13):2007.)
- UCSD’s short-term research training programs
(Jeste DV, Halpain M, Trinidad G, Reichstadt J, and Lebowitz BD: UCSD’s short-term research training programs for trainees at different levels of career development. Academic Psychiatry 31: 160-167, 2007.)
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