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Texas takes center stage in research on aging matters
What is described as a “world class research complex” dedicated to the study of aging and healthy longevity has announced plans to add a new $50 million building, according to the San Antonio Express-News. The University of Texas Health Science Center’s Aging Research & Education Center already has under construction a $19 million building to house the Sam and Ann Barshop Center for Longevity and Aging Studies. It is also rapidly establishing itself as a leader in aging research. "When we got the first building under way, we realized we were already starting to outgrow it," said Dr. Arlan Richardson, professor of physiology at UTHSC and director of the Aging and Research Education Center, as well as, the Sam and Ann Barshop Center for Longevity and Aging Studies. “We are so proud that our Health Science Center leads the nation’s medical centers in the number of National Institute on Aging grants received,” President Francisco G. Cigarroa, M.D, said. “The Barshop Center promises to provide longer, healthier, more prosperous lives for many of us here today, and also for our grandchildren and great-grandchildren.”Francisco G. Cigarroa, M.D, the third president of The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, is a nationally renowned pediatric and transplant surgeon who was educated at Yale, Harvard and Johns Hopkins. Dr. Cigarroa is the first Hispanic in the United States to lead a health science university. This rapidly developing center for aging research is located in the Texas Research Park on the Southwest side of San Antonio. Construction got underway in February for the Barshop Center. “We know that calorie-restricted animals live longer and have a better quality of life,” said Dr. Richardson, “With that understanding, we are looking for the genes in humans that extend life and help people live healthier lives.” Dr. Richardson also directs the Nathan Shock Center and is a Career Scientist with the South Texas Veterans Health Care System. He is the initial holder of the Methodist Hospital Foundation Chair in Aging Studies and Research. U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison, the keynote speaker at the February groundbreaking, said “One of my top priorities in the Senate has been to highlight the centers of excellence in our Texas institutions and make sure they get the prominence and funding they so richly deserve,” Sen. Hutchison said. “The hard work, dedication and breakthrough research of Texas’ campuses is really putting Texas on the map.” The U.S. Census Bureau expects the number of senior citizens to double by 2050, when seniors will make up more than 20 percent of the population. The state of Texas estimates seniors soon will constitute about 30 percent of San Antonio’s population. This fast-growing segment of the population will have a major economic impact on the public and private sectors, particularly in areas of health care. |
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