The University of Florida”s Institute on Aging has received a multimillion-dollar grant from the National Institutes of Health to establish the Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center.
UF is one of 10 centers in the country to receive the prestigious award, which provides $3.9 million over the next five years to fund aging research and career development.
Created and named in honor of Pepper, a former U.S. senator and state representative from Florida who dedicated his legislative career to improving the lives of older Americans until his death in 1989, the nation”s Pepper Centers target research on one common fear people have about growing older — loss of independence.
“With the award, UF”s Institute on Aging has joined the ranks of the most prestigious programs on aging in the nation,’ said Dr. Marco Pahor, director of the institute and chairman of the College of Medicine”s Department of Aging and Geriatrics. “This grant will provide a foundation for our ongoing research endeavors, as well as support our efforts to train the next generation of leaders in aging research, education and health care.’
UF”s central mission addresses the problem of muscle loss, a process called sarcopenia. Research programs at the UF Pepper Center are organized around several core areas that bring together an interdisciplinary team of researchers, geriatricians and educators to prevent and rehabilitate physical disabilities resulting from muscle loss.
“Over time, muscle shrinks as fat expands,’ Pahor said. “We are looking for novel ways to slow this process, but right now nothing beats the benefits of physical activity.’
The grant also provides highly anticipated seed money to initiate large-scale clinical trials. Such trials will evaluate physical activity and hormone replacement therapy as a means to improve function in seniors.
Pepper was known in his lifetime as a spokesman for older citizens. Not only was he a recognized advocate of the elderly, Pepper, who lived to be 89, also embodied vital, successful aging.