Message from the President
At the University of Miami Center on Aging, we’re putting a new face on an old idea. Aging is an achievement. It shouldn’t have to be defined by decline and disability. It’s a natural part of life that can be full of energy, activity, good health, and meaning.
The research being conducted at our Center on Aging provides the critical new scientific and clinical information we need to support and enrich the lives of older people and their families. With the dramatic medical and scientific advances taking place at the Center on Aging, we can and will help everyone enjoy longer, healthier, and more productive lives. Our educational programs at the undergraduate and professional schools will help prepare future leaders and clinicians in the field of aging.
The development of the Center on Aging to national prominence can be attributed to Carl Eisdorfer, Ph.D, M.D. His leadership, scholarly and visionary planning, his pioneering research programs, ability to attract high-caliber talent, and determination to develop programs to improve the quality of life across the age spectrum, are extraordinary.
The pioneering research, for which he has become internationally recognized, includes the study of memory as well as Alzheimer’s disease, (in fact he was one of the original founders of the Alzheimer’s Association). His work on longitudinal changes and the biology of stress and behavior are milestones. He and his co-director, Sara Czaja, Ph.D., recently have been studying how to help caregivers in particular and also are examining the role of information technology in helping older Americans.
This vision has led him and colleagues at the Center on Aging to develop innovative applications of technology, such as computers and telecommunication systems to improve clinical care and to examine issues in driving safety.
The University of Miami recently appointed Dr. Eisdorfer as The Knight Professor, and I have named him my special assistant on aging in recognition of his extraordinary contributions. I look forward to witnessing many more contributions in the weeks and months to come.
Donna E. Shalala
President, University of Miami
