QEIB: New Models for the Evolution of Senescence

University Of Georgia Research Foundation Inc, Athens GA

Investigators

Abstract

Two well-established theories, both developed some fifty years ago, explain why organisms age. However, these models omit ecological and behavioral forces that could influence the evolution of aging. Using mathematical models and computer simulations, this project will develop new models of aging that include ecological and behavior forces. The ultimate goal is to understand currently unexplained aging phenomena, such as why females typically outlive males in most mammals or why some species escape the aging process, and to help predict what sorts of genes should be associated with aging. When complete, these models should give us a much broader understanding of why and how aging occurs in humans and other species, and aid the search for genes that influence aging. In addition to the basic scientific advances that will result from this project, this work will also increase the quality of math science education. This project facilitates a collaboration between the principal investigator-a laboratory researcher who works on aging--and three mathematically-oriented theoreticians. As such, it will greatly enhance opportunities for mathematical training not only for the PI, but also for graduate students and undergraduates at the PI's home institution.