1. USC Health Collaborative: Advancing Interdisciplinary Research Eileen Crimmins, Ph.D. Leonard Davis School of Gerontology Andrus Gerontology Research Center

2. Gerontology is Interdisciplinary  We are all interested in the same problems – health and health care, support of an aging population  None of the faculty have degrees in Gerontology  Almost all of us have joint appointments with some other school  Teaching – multidisciplinary courses- seminars

3. Centers and Training Grants  Two NIH-NIA Centers – Alzheimer’s Research Center Center on Biodemography and Population Health State of California – Long Term Care Integration Center Archstone Foundation – Falls Prevention Training Grants – Neurobiology of Aging Multidisciplinary Training in Aging Used to have a Demography of Aging Training Grant R01s

4. Knowing the Field and the Opportunities  Washington—essential to have a presence and be able to influence  Panels, Advisory Boards, Lectures, Lunch  Multidisciplinary opportunities are supposed to be improving with the “NIH Roadmap”

5. Challenges at USC  Critical mass of people – Recruiting is not designed to develop this  Specific areas of expertise needed– statistical applications, assays, data collection techniques  Interdisciplinary interaction