World : Aging Research Expert Predicts Half of Baby Girls Born Today Will Reach 100

Experts in longevity science disagree on predictions for life-span in the 21st century. Will we continue to grow older or will life-span begin to shorten? In a revealing interview just released today on SAGECrossroads.net, James Vaupel, Ph.D., of the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research, discusses his research on negative senescence and the plasticity of longevity. In the interview, Dr. Vaupel predicts that due to the progress currently being made in aging research, half of girls born today will reach the age of 100.

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Dr. Vaupel discusses with interviewer, political commentator and columnist Stuart Rothenberg, the potential scientific advances we may see in our lifetime, but also warns of the pitfalls society could bring to longevity science and the burden of an older population. To see the interview in its entirety, log on to sagecrossroads.net to view the webcast or read the transcript.

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Dr. Vaupel is the Founding Director of the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research in Rostock, Germany. Dr. Vaupel has also been a senior research scientist at Duke University since 1992, and professor of demography and epidemiology at Odense University since 1991. As a member of US National Advisory Council on Aging, Dr. Vaupel has applied his knowledge and expertise to the policy making process. Additionally, Dr. Vaupel has worked with the Environmental Protection Agency and served as a Study Director of the Committee on Risk Making at the US National Academy of Sciences. Dr. Vaupel’s main areas of study are biodemography, survival and longevity, and mathematical and statistical methods of population analysis.

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SAGE Crossroads is the premier online forum for emerging issues of human aging. Launched in March 2003 by the publishers of Science Magazine and the Alliance for Aging Research, SAGE Crossroads provides policymakers, journalists and interested consumers with the opportunity to explore the impact of science and technology on aging.

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Founded in 1986, the Alliance for Aging Research is a nonprofit, independent organization dedicated to supporting and accelerating the pace of medical discoveries to vastly improve the universal human experience of aging. The Alliance combines the interests of top scientists, public officials, business executives and foundation and academic leaders to promote a greater national investment in research and new technologies that will prepare our nation for the coming senior boom, and improve the quality of life for older Americans.

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SOURCE Alliance for Aging Research

CONTACT: Amber McCracken of Alliance for Aging Research, +1-202-293-2856