The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has awarded support to the Longevity India Initiative at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to establish a Centre for Advanced Research in Aging.
This was announced at the inaugural day of the ‘Longevity India Conference 2025 – Rise for Healthy Aging’ at IISc. This centre is expected to be a significant milestone in India’s efforts to address the challenges of aging and age-related diseases.
India-specific biomarkers
The centre will explore India-specific biomarkers, create organ-specific aging models, and study the gut-brain connection, in order to develop strategies for healthy aging through biology, data science, and clinical research.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao said: “Longevity is not just about living longer, but living healthier, contributing, and staying active. With good habits and advancements in medical science, one can remain active and engaged throughout their life.”
Average age
“With the average age in India increasing and solutions to infectious diseases already in place, lifestyle diseases will become a major challenge for the future of our healthcare system. Understanding aging – both at the molecular and genetic levels, as well as the environmental factors that influence it – is essential. I believe that by bringing together experts from diverse fields to take a holistic approach, we can develop innovative solutions for healthy aging and pave the way for future advancements for the same,” Navakanta Bhat, dean, Division of Interdisciplinary Sciences, IISc, said.
With the key theme of Biological Foundations and Mechanisms of Aging, the conference highlighted notable developments and trends through four major sessions covering aging research, biological mechanisms, lifestyle medicine, and holistic health approaches.
Published – March 10, 2025 09:09 pm IST