Wednesday, January 15, 2025
1/15/2025
Project Summary As the global population ages, unraveling the fundamental mechanisms behind aging and devising strategies to extend our years of healthy living has gained paramount significance. Aging-related musculoskeletal disorders like osteoarthritis, tendinopathy, sarcopenia, and osteoporosis are some of the most prevalent and incapacitating conditions linked to advancing age. While conventional pathways in aging research have historically prepared trainees for academic careers, this approach now falls short, given the predominantly non- academic landscape of post-training career prospects. To unlock the full potential of aging research for enhancing human health and overall well-being, it's imperative to diversify and cultivate numerous career trajectories for scientists. This Aging Research and Entrepreneurial Development Immersion (REDI) R25 proposal aims to provide outstanding training in aging research and exposure to multiple career paths, such as biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical device industry, and academic research. This training will equip scientists with the skills and knowledge necessary to translate their research successfully and have a greater impact on society. The Aging-REDI (A-REDI) program has the following goals: (1) To provide comprehensive training in translational aging research and diverse career paths across academia, industry, and entrepreneurship; (2) To cultivate practical experience in various dimensions of translational research; (3) To develop exceptional communication and presentation skills; and (4) to foster a collaborative, interdisciplinary, and inclusive training environment. To accomplish these goals, the A-REDI program entails an initial 6-month didactic stipend-based participation period for 15 total doctoral or postdoctoral trainees, followed by a 6-month immersive period to advance the translation of academic research projects. Support for translation will be provided through contract service providers (regulatory, clinical, and business consultants), lawyers (corporate, transactional, and intellectual property support), and health/life science entrepreneurs. The A-REDI curriculum and associated available funding will enable trainees to pursue research in aging, while simultaneously offering them a deeper understanding of the steps required to translate their findings into viable products and explore careers outside of academia that allow them to continue work in aging research. This training plan will not only enable publications and abstract submissions, but also new IP generation, the formation of new startups, and exposure to careers in aging innovation.
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