Over the last century, average life expectancy has increased by 30 years. In twenty years time, one in four  people will be over the age of 65. One of the greatest challenges facing us now is how to ensure that people can maintain good health as they age. The Institute of Food Research is hosting the British Society for Research on Ageing Conference in September bringing together some of the UK’s leading researchers in ageing to better understand how we can maintain our physical and mental health as we get old.

Part of the conference will focus on the influence of diet, microbiota and intestinal immunity on ageing. What role does the microbiota, the collection of billions of beneficial bacteria in our guts have? How does this change as we age? Our digestive system and these bacteria heavily influence our immune system, which tends to decline in old age, making us more susceptible to illness. Researchers at the conference will also present the latest insights into the role of the connection between the gut microbiota and brain function.

The conference is sponsored by the UK’s Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and the National Institute on Aging (NIA) – part of the US’s National Institutes for Health. Researchers from the US will join UK-based colleagues to present collaborative work on different aspects of ageing research in a NIA/BBSRC  Bilateral Symposium.

Other sessions will explore the concept of ‘healthspan’ and the science of the way our brains age. There is a specific session giving researchers in the early stages of their careers a chance to present their work, poster sessions, and a session looking forward to scope out new directions for research into ageing.

The conference is being co-organised by IFR’s Professor Claudio Nicoletti, and will also include contributions from Nathalie Juge, Simon Carding, Nigel Belshaw and Giles Elliot.

Conference details:

Registration is now open for the British Society for Research on Ageing Conference, Monday, 02 September – Wednesday, 04 September 2013

http://www.regonline.co.uk/builder/site/Default.aspx?EventID=1245898

Full member and student member registration fees include: Conference fee, accommodation (2 nights), Conference proceedings, welcome reception, meals, coffee breaks and Conference dinner.
Day and drop-in attendance +/-  Conference dinner options available

FEES:
Member and student member* registration £240
Membership join / renewal Full: £25; Student: £10
Day registration rate £60, Drop-in £75
Conference dinner £35

*A LIMITED NUMBER OF STUDENT BURSARIES ARE AVAILABLE*

AWARDS AND PRIZES:

Prizes will be awarded to the best poster and best oral presentations.

One presenter will be selected for the Korenchevsky Award; a £1500 prize bursary to be used to attend the American Aging Association annual meeting in 2014
Confirmed speakers (titles to be confirmed) include:

• Jan van Deursen (Mayo Clinic) – Cell senescence, ageing and lifespan
• Ian Jeffery (Cork, ELDERMET) – Changes in the microbiota during ageing
• Wolfgang Kunze (McMasters) – Ageing and the brain-gut-microbiota axis
• Frank Slack (Yale) – microRNAs and ageing
• Michel Schwarz (Weizmann Institute) – Protective autoimmunity and the ageing brain

The British Society for Research on Ageing (BSRA) promotes research to understand the causes and effects of the ageing process. BSRA encourages publication and public understanding of ageing research and holds an annual scientific meeting. The Springer Journal, Biogerontology, is the formal affiliated Journal of the society. Biogerontology offers a platform for research which aims primarily at achieving healthy old age accompanied by improved longevity.