Sealy Center on Aging

The Leadership and Administrative Core (LAC) provides scientific leadership, administrative infrastructure, financial and regulatory oversight in support of the activities and growth of the UTMB Pepper Center. 

Leaders: Elena Volpi, MD, PhD and Rebeca Wong, PhD

The Internal Advisory Team, comprised of Dr. Mouton, Provost and Dean of the School of Medicine, Dr. Sharma, Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Urban, Vice President for Research and PI of the Clinical Translational Science Award, and Dr. Brown, Dean of the School of Health Professions, will all advise and support the Executive Committee of Core Leaders in identification of new investigators, resource optimization and new opportunities for research and collaborations.

The Research Education Component (REC) provides structured interdisciplinary education and mentoring, individualized learning experiences, nationwide networking, and participation in translational team science to increase the number of rigorously trained, extramurally competitive, and scientifically competent researchers. Scholars have access to infrastructure and resources from the UTMB Pepper Center Cores, the Sealy Center on Aging, the Institute for Translational Sciences (ITS/CTSA), and the Texas Resource Center for Minority Aging Research (RCMAR). Scholars are encouraged to attend the monthly Pepper Investigators Lecture Series on campus.

Leaders:  Ken Ottenbacher, PhD, OTR,  James S. Goodwin, MD, and  Blake Rasmussen, PhD

Learn more about Scholars supported by the UTMB Pepper Center

The goal of the Pilot/Exploratory Studies Core (PESC) is to stimulate innovative research that leads to external funding for projects that address our core mission of understanding and improving physical function and independence in older adults. The PESC funds one-or two-year pilot grants with budgets of up to $50,000 per year, and also small exploratory projects with seed money budgets of up to $10,000.

Leaders:   Douglas Paddon-Jones, PhD, and   Kyriakos S. Markides, PhD 

Current Projects

• Tatiana Moro, PhD, Nutrition & Metabolism, Role of Skeletal Muscle Pericytes in the Angiogenic and Myogenic Response to Exercise in Older Adults
• Andrew Murton, PhD, Surgery, Oral Deuterium Oxide Consumption as an Approach to Assess Changes in Habitual Metabolic and Cellular Function with Age

The Metabolism and Biology Resource Core promotes and supports basic science and translational research.  The MBRC1 significantly contributes to the Center theme and goals by providing fundamental and innovative analytical services, biorepository facilities, training and expertise to explore the biological (molecular and cellular) and metabolic (protein, fat, glucose, and energy) pathways involved in muscle loss and functional recovery in older adults. It also develops and tests novel therapeutics in preclinical models. MBRC1 support has led to several new NIH grants.

Leaders:   Blake Rasmussen, PhD, and   Stan Watowich, PhD  

Services

• Sample flow
• Sample labeling, tracking and storage
• Mass Spectrometry Resource: standard analyses of stable isotope tracer enrichment in blood and tissue samples
• Metabolic modeling
• Biology & metabolism resource: immunoflourescent microscopy, cell culture, cell signaling, RT-PCR, high-resolution respirometry
• Metabolic phenotyping
• Leveraging other institutional analytical core resources
• Project support

Facilities and Other Resources

• Animal Resources Center
• Transgenic Mouse Facility
• Skeletal Muscle Biology and Metabolism Laboratory
• Biorepository and Mass Spectrometry
• Mass Spectrometry Core Facility
• Molecular Genomics Core
• Nex-Gen Core: Next Generation Sequencing Core Facility

The Clinical Research Resource Core is the primary resource for subject recruitment, tracking and retention activities, and for training Scholars in clinical research. This core has been instrumental in developing the infrastructure to support translation of basic discoveries in geriatric populations, developing the ACE Unit Research Laboratory, and participating in large clinical trials, such as ASPREE, STRIDE, D-CARE, MoTrPAC, and STEP-HI. The core supports research studies on the mechanisms underlying function loss and recovery; development and testing of novel treatments; trajectories of physical function and disability in community-dwelling and hospitalized older adults; and pragmatic, patient-centered studies on recovery from illness.

Leaders:   Elena Volpi, MD, PhD, and   Mukaila Raji, MD, MS, FACP  

Clinical Resources

• UT Health System
• Acute Care fro Elders Unit (ACE Unit)
• OAIC Ace Unit Functional Laboratory
• CeRPAN Exercise Training and Testing Laboratories
• CeRPAN Physical Performance Testing and Training Core Lab
• ITS Clinical Research Center
• Office of Clinical Research
• Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders Clinical Program
• Stroke Clinical Program

Investigator Support

1. Subject Recruitment: Recruit, track, and retain a pool of older subjects who have agreed to participate in research. Specialize in recruitment of subjects from under-represented minority groups.
2. Conduct Health Assessments & Screenings: These include but are not limited to: Physical exams Blood work Functional Status Muscle strength testing Face-to-face interviews Chart reviews
3. Provide Regulatory Support: Provide assistance with: IRB submissions Continuing reviews Progress reports Support letters for grant submissions and study planning Conduct of clinical research studies Coordination of clinical studies

The goal of the Biostatistics and Data Management Resource Core is to provide biostatistical collaboration and training, and develop biostatistics methodology and data management tools for research relevant to the Center theme. Core personnel are highly qualified faculty and staff with expertise in study design, computer science, data management, and statistical analysis from a wide range of research applications.

Leaders:   Yong-Fang Kuo, PhD, and   Heidi Spratt, PhD 

BDMRC3 Services and Activities

• Selection, prioritization, and monitoring of supported projects
• Data management
• Design
• Statistical Analysis
• Provide mentoring to Research Education Component (REC) Scholars
• Seminars, workshops and webinar
• Open Specimen license
• Standardized Functional Assessment Measures
• Identified EHR Data Extraction
• Optum EHR
• Developing joint models to study longitudinal ordinal outcomes with competing risk of survival
• Extending trial designs to address novel opportunities
• Next generation sequencing to identify mechanisms of muscle hypertrophy in older adults