Institute for Successful Longevity

ISL is grateful for successfully holding this year’s Student Poster Day! We had an amazing turnout with 15 great presentations by 14 graduate students and 1 undergraduate student. Our keynote speaker, Dr. Rui Zhang, delivered an informative talk about his impactful research leveraging computational approaches for cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and dietary supplement safety. If you missed his presentation but are still interested in learning about his work, please check out the recording of the talk at this link:?https://lnkd.in/ePtUdUHN?(The video is at the bottom).

FSU has named Dr. Zhe He as Director of the Institute for Successful Longevity. The institute leads multidiciplinary research into the complexities of life as an older individual, exploring how to live longer, stay active and be fully engaged in life. https://lnkd.in/eXhUM-iz

Congratulations to Zhe He, PhD, FAMIA on being named director of the Institute for Successful Longevity! ?? The institute leads multidiciplinary research into the complexities of life as an older individual, exploring how to live longer, stay active and be fully engaged in life. “Aging research is at a pivotal moment, with advancements in data science, artificial intelligence and digital health offering transformative opportunities to enhance the lives of older adults,” He said. “My vision for ISL is to foster an innovative, interdisciplinary environment where researchers, students, and community partners come together to develop impactful solutions that promote longevity, health and well-being.” Read more here about his work with longevity research and goals for the institute ?? https://lnkd.in/eXhUM-iz

The Institute for Successful Longevity (ISL) is excited to welcome Victoria Valko as our new Outreach Assistant. A second-year student at Florida State University, Victoria is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts in Public Health with a minor in Information Technology. She is passionate about healthcare systems, data management, and the role of technology in public health research. In her new role, Victoria will support ISL’s outreach initiatives, expand community engagement, and strengthen the institute’s research presence. With a strong background in research, data analysis, and event coordination, she brings valuable experience to the team. She has also taken on leadership roles as Co-Secretary of the Health Informatics Student Association (HISA) and President of the Bachelor of Science Public Health Student Association (BSPHSA), demonstrating her commitment to fostering collaboration and advancing public health initiatives. Her goals at ISL include enhancing the institute’s visibility, increasing student and community participation in the ISL Research Registry, and strengthening ISL’s social media presence. She is also eager to support ISL’s events and workshops, connecting students, faculty, and researchers with ISL’s work on aging and longevity. We are thrilled to welcome Victoria Valko to the Institute for Successful Longevity! https://lnkd.in/ePNtkXBy

We’d like to remind you about the upcoming ISL Poster Day Event on March 18 from 12 PM - 3 PM at the Claude Pepper Center of FSU. This year, we are thrilled to invite a world-leading health data scientist and aging researcher Dr. Rui Zhang from University of Minnesota to give a keynote at the event, followed by a wonderful list of poster presentations by 14 undergraduate and graduate students across FSU. Please register the event using this link: https://lnkd.in/edsG3dh7, if you haven’t done so already! We encourage in-person attendance for noles’ hospitality and direct conversations. We will also have light lunch, and snacks for everyone. If you cannot attend in person, we also provide a Zoom link (which can be found in the registration page if you choose Zoom option). Please take a look at the Program Book of 2025 ISL Poster Day here: https://lnkd.in/eHD6h_w7

We would like to announce that we will have a Brown Bag Lecture Series talk featuring Dr. Anne Barrett with Doctoral students Hope Mimbs and Brianna Soulie on March 5th at 12 PM. Title:?"Frailty in the Margins: How U.S. Policies on Aging and Technology Depict Deep Old Age" Abstract:?Technology is often viewed as having the potential to revolutionize the experience of aging for individuals and societies – an optimism propelled by the rapid appearance of numerous, diverse technologies. These include “low-tech” products, like large button phones and motorized chair lifts, as well as “high-tech” digital ones, like surveillance tags, companion robots, and AI virtual assistants. Although concerns about the technological shift have been raised, often centering on issues of privacy and security, less attention has been paid to the discourse around technology found in aging policies. Of the handful of such studies, none focus on how aging policies depict frailty. Our project analyzes depictions of frailty in documents published by key institutional players in U.S. age tech policy (e.g., Office of Science and Technology Policy; Department of Health and Human Services). The results of our content analysis illustrate how constructions of later life that minimize discussion of frailty can infuse aging and technology policies, potentially limiting the care available to those most in need of it. Bio:?Anne Barrett is a professor of sociology and the Mildred and Claude Pepper Eminent Scholar at FSU. Her research examines two themes: how social relationships affect health over the life course and how?ageism manifests and influences well-being in middle and later life. ? Hope Mimbs is a doctoral student in sociology at FSU. Her research interests focus on how social relationships, especially friendships, affect health and well-being over the life course. ? Brianna Soulie is a doctoral student?in sociology at FSU. Her research interests center on how gender shapes embodied experiences of aging. To RSVP for Zoom, please use the following link: https://lnkd.in/ehTYP5k4

We are excited to announce the 2025 ISL Student Poster Day, which will be held at 12 PM Tuesday March 18, 2025 at the Claude Pepper Center (636 W Call St, Tallahassee, FL 32306). This year we are thrilled to have Dr. Rui Zhang, Professor and Founding Chief, Division of Computational Health Sciences, University of Minnesota with us and give a keynote at the event. Keynote: Title: The Future of Health Science: Impact of Artificial Intelligence and Larger Language Models Advancing on Nutrition, Aging, and Cancer Research Speaker: Rui Zhang, PhD, FACMI, FAMIA, Professor and Founding Chief, Division of Computational Health Sciences, University of Minnesota In this seminar, Dr. Zhang will provide an overview of his ongoing research projects aimed at advancing clinical research across various domains developing innovative artificial intelligence (AI) methods. Focusing on the nutrition domain, the seminar will delve into Dr. Zhang's foundational work in establishing a terminology, knowledge base and AI methodologies employed to extract efficacy and safety information from diverse sources, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of dietary supplement safety. In the aging domain, Dr. Zhang will discuss the applications of AI to repurpose Complementary and Integrative Health (CIH) approaches for Alzheimer's disease. Shifting to the cancer domain, Dr. Zhang will introduce cancer-domain language models developed to extract cancer phenotypes. This advancement holds significant implications for predicting cardiotoxicity related to cancer treatment. Additionally, the seminar will also highlight their recent work advancing large language models on various biomedical informatics and clinical tasks. https://lnkd.in/eimQc2q4

ISL Director Dr. He led discussions on cutting-edge AI and aging research at AMIA 2024 and GSA 2024. https://lnkd.in/e8Qc-Sek

Dear FSU ISL affiliates, advisors, community, and friends, As the year comes to a close, we at the Institute for Successful Longevity (ISL) want to take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude for your support, collaboration, and dedication to advancing aging research and improving the quality of life for older adults! This past year has been one of remarkable achievements and meaningful connections: Secured numerous significant grants from NIH, USDA, NSF, including an?NIDA/NIH R01?to study the effects of medical marijuana and opioids on driving in older adults, and an?AHRQ R21/R33 grant?for the LabGenie project, which aims to help older adults better understand their lab results through tailored questions and visualizations. Led a multi-institutional and multidisciplinary team and submitted a Solution Summary to?the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) CATALYST program?for a $10 million grant application for advancing drug discovery for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia. Formation of ISL Working Groups:?Established three working groups—Clinical Research Working Group,?Basic Science Working Group, and?Advanced Technology Working Group—to foster collaboration, identify research opportunities, and enhance interdisciplinary efforts. These groups have already begun developing research skill training websites, organizing workshops, writing white papers, and exploring new initiatives to advance ISL’s mission. Community Engagement:?Hosted the?Technology and Aging panel at the Tallahassee Senior Center?during FSU Discovery Days, connecting researchers with local community members to discuss how technology can meet the diverse needs of older adults. Collaborations and Partnerships:?Strengthened ties with the Claude Pepper Center, Pepper Institute on Aging and Public Policy, and numerous national agencies, broadening the scope and impact of our work. Mentorship and Student Involvement:?Continued to engage students through research opportunities, workshops, cultivating the next generation of leaders in aging studies. As we prepare for the new year, we are excited to expand our research initiatives, grow the working groups, host more community-centered events, and explore innovative solutions to meet the challenges and opportunities of aging. Together, we will continue to advance ISL’s mission and make a lasting impact on the lives of older adults. In the coming months, we will send the announcement for the Call for Proposals for the ISL Planning Grants 2025-2026 cycle, the Esther & Del Grosser Scholarship,?ISL Student Poster Day Competitions, as well as an exciting lineup of Brown Bag talks for Spring 2025. On behalf of everyone at ISL, I wish you and your loved ones a joyful holiday season and a happy, healthy new year. Thank you for being an integral part of our journey!! With gratitude, Zhe He, PhD, FAMIA Interim Director, Institute for Successful Longevity Florida State University