Featured Archives

Dec 21

3D illustration. Colorful DNA molecule. Concept image of a structure of the genetic code.

Beyond changing DNA itself, mutagens also cause errors in gene transcription

By Beth Newcomb Featured, Health and Wellness, Mitochondria, Research

The discovery that toxic stressors can cause errors in gene transcription opens new avenues of research on diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s and sheds light on the potential role of the “transcriptome” in aging.

Dec 11

Read All About It

By Beth Newcomb Featured, School Culture

2020 was one for the books at the USC Leonard Davis School as faculty, students and alumni came together over Zoom for a series of book club discussions exploring titles related to longevity and pandemics.

Dec 08

A Red Cross nurse during the 1918 influenza pandemic, and a member of the medical staff in the COVID-19 ward at Sheikh Zayed Hospital in Cairo, Egypt on April 29, 2020.

A century of COVID-19: what history tells us about the long-term effects of a pandemic

By Beth Newcomb COVID-19, Featured, Health and Wellness, Research

USC research showed that people born during or just after the 1918 flu pandemic faced increased heart disease risk more than 60 years later. The legacy of the novel coronavirus could be worse.

Dec 03

To better understand aging, look at both biological and social factors

By Beth Newcomb Demography, Featured, Health and Wellness, Mitochondria, Research

Incorporating social and behavioral factors alongside biological mechanisms is critical for improving aging research, says University Professor Eileen Crimmins.

Nov 30

World AIDS Day: supporting older adults with HIV

By Beth Newcomb Featured, Health and Wellness, Viewpoints

Over half of the people living with HIV in the USA are older adults, which brings a new set of challenges to fighting AIDS, says Paul Nash.

Nov 30

Ærtebjerghaven, a senior living community in Odense, Denmark, includes health-promoting design features, including decentralized residential clusters; atriums that provide light, fresh air and safe outdoor access; single-occupancy rooms with private bathrooms; and large, open common spaces that can be reconfigured for physical distancing (photo: Victor Regnier).

Form, function, and fighting disease in senior living

By Beth Newcomb Academics, COVID-19, Featured, Housing

More important than ever during the COVID-19 pandemic, USC experts teach students how to design and operate senior living facilities that promote public health.

Nov 20

Kerry Burnight PhD '96 with an older adult showing them iPad screen of a dog

USC alumna puts her gerontology degree to work as a technology executive

By Beth Newcomb Alumni, Careers in Aging, Featured, Technology

Dr. Kerry Burnight says a degree in gerontology can apply to any career because aging is living. Learn how her doctorate from the USC Leonard Davis School led to a variety of rewarding positions in academic, non-profit and technology sectors.

Nov 19

Illustration of older couple using technology to talk to family

Giving back and staying connected can benefit older adults this holiday season, say USC experts in aging

By Beth Newcomb Caregiving, COVID-19, Featured, Health and Wellness, Intergenerational

Even small gestures like sharing recipes or making cards can help combat COVID-19-related loneliness and isolation over the holidays.

Nov 18

Caring for Caregivers

By Beth Newcomb Caregiving, COVID-19, Featured, Health and Wellness

Amid challenges posed by COVID-19, recent national attention on the needs of caregivers is long overdue, says Donna Benton, director of the USC Family Caregiver Support Center.

Nov 17

Caenorhabditis elegans, a free-living transparent nematode (roundworm), about 1 mm in length. Fluorescence micrograph.

Newly published studies explore factors affecting lifespan and reproduction

By Beth Newcomb Featured, Research

Two USC studies on diet and sperm quality in C. elegans illustrate how changes in the tiny worms could lay the groundwork for further research in humans.