Three score years and then? – inaugural lecture from Professor Richard Faragher
Published 18 October 2010
Event 19 November 2010
All of us are frightened of ageing badly and some of us see it as inevitable. However, biomedical research has shown that it is not. The ageing process can be slowed dramatically in the laboratory by genetic means. Lifespan more than ten times greater than normal can now be achieved by laboratory animals but these discoveries have produced a frustrating paradox for the scientific community. We know that genes control ageing but how they do this remains largely guesswork. Until now this lack of understanding has hampered our ability to turn these fundamental biological insights into useful medical treatments.
My laboratory works on the mechanisms which slow ageing in simple animals and accelerate it in humans. Together with our collaborators we have achieved sufficient understanding to identify treatments for premature ageing and propose the mechanism by which lifespan is extended in mammals. My lecture will explain this work and discuss its moral and societal implications.
Research into ageing at the University of Brighton holds out the possibility of creating longer, healthier lives. When it comes to ageing in the 21st century, is the only thing we have to fear now fear itself?
Three score years and then?
Richard Faragher
Professor of Biogerontology
Friday 19 November 2010 at 6.30pm
Huxley Building
University of Brighton
Lewes Road
Brighton BN2 4GJ
Light refreshments will be served after the lecture. All welcome.
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