Gerontology is the study of the elderly, and of the aging process itself.
It is to be distinguished from geriatrics, which is the study of the diseases of the elderly. Gerontology covers the social, psychological and biological aspects of aging.
Gerontology includes these and other endeavors:
*studying physical, mental, and social changes in people as they age.
*investigating the effects of our aging population on society.
*applying this knowledge to policies and programs.
As a result of the multidisciplinary focus of gerontology, professionals from several fields call themselves "gerontologists".
Gerontologists
Gerontologists are health care professionals who specialize in studying or working with older adults. There are several different types of gerontologists. Research gerontologists conduct research on the aging process, social structures, and living environments of older persons in an effort to understand and enrich the lives of elders. Applied gerontologists work directly with older persons, communicating with and analyzing individuals, families, and groups. They may also provide their services to people in nursing homes, senior citizen centers, and other similar facilities. Administratively oriented gerontologists use their training and management skills to develop programs and coordinate services that are necessary for services to run smoothly. These professionals may have degrees or training in nursing, psychology, sociology, demography, or other social science or social services-related professions. Gerontologists are responsible for educating and advancing the broader causes of older people by giving informative presentations, publishing books and articles that pertain to the aging population, producing relevant films and television programs, and producing new graduates of these various disciplines in college and university settings.
Biogerontology
Biogerontology is the subfield of gerontology dedicated to studying the specifically biological processes resulting in senescence. Biogerontologists are scientists who study these processes and the term also includes scientists who work to control, prevent and reverse aging in both humans and animals. These latter scientists are called
biomedical gerontologists. Biogerontologists who are not biomedical gerontologists not only take an academic interest in the biological mechanisms of aging, but also try to develop rational and practical means of aging intervention and modulation. The biogerontological approach to "anti-aging" is based in the context and framework of real and evolutionary biology, rather than almost metaphysical claims for an imminent and permanent "cure" of aging. Curing age-related diseases is one approach, but slowing down aging at all levels of organization is something different.
Biogerontologists
* Vilhelm A. Bohr
* Judith Campisi
* Aubrey de Grey
* Michael Fossel
* Denham Harman
* Leonard Hayflick
* Robin Holliday
* Cynthia Kenyon
* Marios Kyriazis
* Richard A. Miller
* Jay Olshansky
* Raymond Pearl
* Suresh Rattan
* David A. Sinclair
* Michael West
See also
* Ageing
* Aging and memory
* American Aging Association
* National Institute on Aging
* Biological immortality
* Life extension
*
Immortality* Oldest people
* Rejuvenation
* SAGE KE
*
Senescence*
TranshumanismExternal links
* Biogerontology - premier peer reviewed international journal, published by Springer Dordrecht, The Netherlands; Editor-in-Chief, Suresh Rattan
*
Who Is Who in Gerontology Biogerontologists with emphasis on biomedical gerontologists
*
People in Biogerontology *
Gerontologists *
Careers in Aging *
MHA Health Careers Center *
Pedro Paulo Monteiro *
senescence.info Informational website related to aging research.
*
SENS (Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence) *
The Methuselah Mouse Prize *
Mechanisms of Aging *
Journal of Gerontology Series A: Biological and Medical Sciences *
Journal of Gerontology Series B: Psycological and Social Sciences * http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nurses'_Health_Study - Longitudinal Study "
Nurses' Health Study" (abr: NHS), Boston.
* http://longevity-science.org/ - Scientific and Educational Website on Aging and Longevity Studies
*
Biogerontology Resources *
Gerontology Research Group Site also has the official tables of known supercentenarians.
*
California Association of Homes and Services for the Aging *
Read Congressional Research Service (CRS) Reports regarding ageing *
http://professional.health-schools.com/&kid=GOG0005341955 List of colleges with degrees in Gerontology
Category:Aging
Category:Anti-aging
Category:Branches of sociology (interdisciplinary)
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