ANN ARBOR, MI - In an effort to strengthen aging initiatives on campus, the University of Michigan has merged its Institute of Gerontology with the Medical School's Geriatrics Center. The combination will integrate U-M's internationally recognized clinical, educational and research programs, which are expanding knowledge of the aging process and addressing the health care concerns of older adults.

Founded in 1987, the Geriatrics Center is the umbrella organization for geriatric patient care, education and research at U-M Health System. The Institute of Gerontology , founded by the State of Michigan in 1965, became the nation's first state-funded center on aging and has remained a leader in gerontological research.

“We are building on a rich history of University of Michigan leadership in aging and research. This merger of the Institute of Gerontology with the Geriatrics Center strengthens the University's commitment and represents a major step forward, which will keep the University of Michigan at the forefront of research in basic science of aging and its translation to improve the health and well being of the rapidly aging population,” says Jeffrey B. Halter, M.D., director of the Geriatrics Center and professor of internal medicine at the U-M Medical School. With the merger, Halter will also serve as director of the Institute of Gerontology .

The Institute of Gerontology will become the research arm of the Geriatrics Center, strengthening the collective research capabilities in geriatrics and gerontology in multiple areas. The merger will allow U-M to pool significant human, financial and space resources.

Geriatrics Center researchers will work to develop a better understanding of the factors that regulate the rate of aging in multiple cell and tissue types, and that contribute to the increased vulnerability of older adults to disease and disability. Bringing the two major centers of aging together will allow U-M to expand its focus on biogerontology (the biology of aging), integrative muscle and skeletal research, health services, health policy and behavioral research, and clinical research.

“Biogerontology research will be an increasingly important focus for our Medical School in the years ahead. The combination of the Institute of Gerontology with our own Geriatrics Center will greatly strengthen our capabilities in this area. We are delighted to see this happen,” says Allen Lichter, M.D., dean of the U-M Medical School .

“The Institute of Gerontology has established itself as one of the nation's top research institutions in the areas of biogerontology and social aspects of aging,” says Fawwaz T. Ulaby, U-M vice president for research. “Merging the institute and the Geriatrics Center provides an opportunity to closely couple the research findings of the Institute of Gerontology to the clinical studies of the Geriatrics Center. It's a natural fit.”

The combined units will continue groundbreaking work in aging research, including:

• How genetic mutations slow aging and extend life span.
• The basic mechanisms of aging and the role of aging in the timing of late life illnesses.
• Aging in the musculoskeletal system, particularly as structure and function of bone, cartilage, tendons and skeletal muscles are impaired by age-related changes.
• Gero-informatics, a new discipline that uses large-scale databases to guide health-related decisions by older adults, their caregivers or physicians, and policy makers.
• Applied clinical research that addresses highly prevalent conditions of older adults such as congestive heart failure, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, gait disorders and falls.

The merger will strengthen U-M's education programs in aging and geriatrics for health professionals by bringing together the Institute of Gerontology 's outstanding research training program with the Geriatrics Center's innovative clinical education experiences. In addition, the Geriatrics Center, through its Turner Geriatric Clinic, will continue to provide comprehensive multidisciplinary geriatric assessment, as well as ongoing primary care for older adults, and the Turner Senior Resource Center will offer programs designed to improve and enhance the quality of life for older adults and their families.

Contact: Nicole Fawcett

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