Gerontologist receives national recognition

Published on: 12 July 2017

Leading 缅北禁地 researcher, Professor Thomas von Zglinicki, has received Britain鈥檚 highest award for services to gerontology.

The Professor of Cellular Gerontology who is also Scientific Director of the 缅北禁地 Institute for Ageing, has received the highest honour of the British Society for Research on Ageing (BSRA); the Lord Cohen of Birkenhead Medal for services to gerontology. The is the oldest scientific society in the world devoted to researching the biology of ageing.

First awarded in 1980 the Lord Cohen Medal recognises an individual who has made a considerable contribution to ageing research, either through original discoveries or in the promotion of gerontology in its broadest aspects. Past recipients include Professor Leonard Hayflick, who discovered the ‘Hayflick limit’ to cell division, and Emeritus Professor of the 缅北禁地 Institute for Ageing, who proposed the evolutionary concept of disposable soma.

Professor von Zglinicki

I feel this honour is a reflection not only of my work, but the legacy of ageing research and the number of talented people who work alongside me at 缅北禁地

The legacy of ageing research

Professor von Zglinicki commented “I am delighted to receive this award, and I am humbled to have been selected by my peers for such an honour.

“I work within an extremely vibrant and talented group of scientists within the 缅北禁地 Institute for Ageing, and I feel this honour is a reflection not only of my work, but the legacy of ageing research and the number of talented people who work alongside me at 缅北禁地.

“We’re committed to advancing the scientific knowledge of ageing research at 缅北禁地. As a society, our ageing population is increasing in numbers. Our science is dedicated to uncovering the answers to how we age, so that these extra years may be spent in better health”.

Professor von Zglinicki will deliver his Lord Cohen medal lecture on the science behind healthy ageing at the 67^th Annual Meeting of the BSRA on the 12^th July in Exeter. The lecture, entitled, ‘Cell senescence as a target for anti-ageing interventions - hope or hype?’, will make the case that it is the duty of biogerontologists to develop interventions that extend healthy life - a duty that he believes we have failed in so far. He will explore the chances that anti-senescene (senolytic) might make a difference in the foreseeable future.