Description
Biology of Ageing covers evolutionary and mechanistic theories of ageing; comparative biology of ageing; the new model organism genetics of lifespan (eg C. elegans, Drosophila, mouse); methods in ageing research (eg functional genomic analysis); the biology of dietary restriction; cellular senescence and senotherapy, telomeres and cancer; ageing-related disease; the biology of insulin signalling, energy handling and associated diseases (eg diabetes and obesity); stem cell ageing; epigenetic clocks; prospects for treatments for ageing; and social and ethical issues relating to research on ageing. As well as lectures there are three small group tutorials, some lead by researchers °ÄÃÅÀúÊ·¿ª½±¼Ç¼’s Institute of Healthy Ageing.
Learning objectives
- To attain a good grasp of the various facets of the biology of ageing and longevity (evolutionary biology, biodemography, genetics, biochemistry, cell biology, endocrinology, etc) and the relationship between them.
- To understand the main theories of ageing, in terms of evolutionary and proximate mechanisms.
- To understand some of the major diseases of ageing, and their etiologies in the underlying biology of ageing.
- Discuss controversial ethical, philosophical and social issues relating to this work.
- To realize how incredibly interesting the biology of ageing is.
Indicative lecture topics – based on module content in 2023/24
- Introduction to ageing
- Mechanistic theories of ageing
- Damage and maintenance
- Evolution of ageing
- Comparative biology of ageing
- The biology of immortality
- Genetics of ageing in model organisms
- Functional genomic analysis of ageing
- Dietary restriction
- Theories of ageing: Damage or programme?
- Programmatic ageingÌýand epigenetic clocks
- Cellular senescence and cancer
- Genetics of human ageing and neurodegeneration
- Stem cells and ageing
- Immunosenescence
- Age-related metabolic diseases
- Inflammaging and age-related disease
- Ageing and the microbiome
- Psychosocial influences on ageing
- Reprogramming ageing
- Translation: Treatments for human ageing
- Impact on human society of ageing research
Module deliveries for 2024/25 academic year
Last updated
This module description was last updated on 19th August 2024.
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