Advancing Research
by funding Grant Programs and Fellowships
Driving Innovation
by guiding studies such as the FAST Initiative, the SuperAgers Initiative, and the TAME Trial
Furthering the Field
by supporting the infrastructure of three NIA Initiatives and leading the Amplifying Geroscience Initiative.
Top Breakthroughs driven by AFAR Experts
Delaying Disease by Targeting Aging
Saving Costs by Extending Healthspan
What are the Hallmarks of Aging?
What is Geroscience?
What is the Longevity Dividend?
Biological aging is generally a very gradual process. The exception is the occurrence of menopause in women, where the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis fails relatively abruptly by the 6th decade of life. With menopause come many overall health implications, including bone loss, increased cardiovascular risk, sexual dysfunction, sleep disturbances, skin and cognitive changes. So far, studies have focused on the ovary as the main source of sex-steroids in women. In the proposed study, Dr. Aya Namba will investigate the largely overlooked role of the adrenal gland in sex-steroid synthesis. The aim of the study is to define the spectrum of sex-steroids in aging women as well as the role of the adrenal gland in producing sex-steroids after menopause.
