Biological research on aging has a venerable history, but only in recent years has the scientific community realized the inherent complexity of aging processes and the need to understand the larger context in which they occur. This suggests that the time is ripe for applying ideas from systems biology, which attempts to explain complex phenomena in terms of interacting mechanisms, to the study of scenescence.
This symposium will bring together researchers who are taking a systems approach to the biology of aging. Speakers will include both biologists reporting on new experimental findings and formal modelers describing new computational tools to support aging research. The schedule will include time for both formal talks and discussions, including extended breaks for less formal interactions.
One objective of the meeting is to exchange results, both empirical and computational, among scientists who are actively pursuing this topic. Another is to identify open problems and develop a road map for future research for an area that promises both theoretical insights into the nature of life and practical benefits to our aging population.
There is no registration fee for the symposium, but attendance will be by invitation only. There will be eleven invited speakers presenting at the meeting over two days. We will have space for some non-presenting attendees at the meeting. If you are interested in participating, please send email to langley@asu.edu with a brief account of your previous and current work on the symposium topic.
The symposium will take place on Saturday, December 6, and Sunday, December 7, 2008 at Arizona State University. Talks will be held in the Brickyard Building, Room 210, on the ASU Tempe campus.
This symposium has received financial support from Science Foundation Arizona (Grant No. CAA 0113-07), the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research, the Computational Education for Scientists program at Microsoft Research, and Arizona State University.