Dr Kambiz Alavian (Imperial College London) and the MyAge network hosted a UK-North America Ageing Research Consortium meeting on the 9-10 December 2024, to foster new research collaborations across the UK Ageing Network.
Guest speakers from the University of Pittburgh, Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Indiana University School of Medicine, Ontario Tech University, McMaster Institute for Research on Aging and Simon Fraser University joined researchers from AGENTS, ART, ATTAIN, BLAST, CELLO, CFIN, ECMage, Food4Years and MyAge networks at the Wellcome Collection and Imperial College London. Early career researchers and members from across the UK Ageing Network showcased their research on a wide range of topics, including nutrition, immune ageing, hydration in older adults, biomarkers of cognitive frailty, African turquoise killifish as a model for ageing research, extracellular matrix remodelling in cardiovascular tissues, the neuromuscular transition in menopause and mapping the markers of muscle health.
Guests from Canada and the USA presented their research and gave overviews of the breadth of programmes in their respective host organisations, forming the basis for the next day’s partnership conversations.
Kambiz said, “The event was a resounding success, thanks to the dedication and enthusiasm of our members from across the UK and our esteemed international guests. In-person gatherings foster the most productive discussions, and we had the opportunity to brainstorm several compelling ideas for future interdisciplinary collaborations.
One of the key themes to emerge from this meeting was the intersection of biomedical and socio-behavioural sciences, highlighting the importance of bridging these disciplines. This meeting brought us closer to the mission of MyAge and UKAN to dismantle disciplinary silos and foster interdisciplinary collaborations, spanning from cellular mechanisms to societal impact.”
Discussions on both days were captured by Jonny Glover (More Than Minutes).
The event was made possible by a UK Research and Innovation Global Partnership Award.