The American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) has received a five-year renewal award totaling $5,722,435 from the National Institute on Aging (NIA), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to continue and expand the Nathan Shock Centers Coordinating Center (NSC3). The NSC3 coordinates the activities of the 8 Nathan Shock Centers (NSC) of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging, which provide expert resources to expand basic research into the biology of aging. The NSCs began in 1995 in honor of Dr. Nathan Shock, founding head of the NIH Gerontology Research Center. This year, NIA will fund 3 new NSCs at the University of Minnesota, University of Rochester, and University of Wisconsin. These centers join the following 5 NSCs that have been renewed: The Jackson Laboratory, University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio, University of Washington, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, and University of Alabama at Birmingham.

The NIA is one of the 27 Institutes and Centers of the NIH, with a mission to understand the nature of aging and the aging process, and diseases and conditions associated with growing older, in order to extend the healthy, active years of life. NIA’s Division of Aging Biology (DAB) is home to both the NSC3 and NSCs. The NSCs provide intellectual leadership and innovation, along with research services and training and career development opportunities for future leaders. The NSCs collaborate substantially with each other and with related NIA-funded Research Centers.

The NSC3 was established in 2017 and is the focal point for coordinating all the activities of the NSC. AFAR has managed the NSC3 since 2017, and with this renewal, it will build on the existing NSC3 infrastructure to further 

increase and improve the visibility of the Nathan Shock Centers nationally and internationally; facilitate collaboration and coordination among the Nathan Shock Centers; enhance training activities; and help share resources and facilitate interactions between NIA staff and the Nathan Shock Centers. The NSC3 leadership includes AFAR Scientific Director Steven N. Austad, PhD; AFAR Executive Director Stephanie Lederman, EdM; and AFAR Deputy Executive Director and Director of Grant Programs, Odette van der Willik.

The NSC3 is critically important because of its coordination function among the centers, which helps to leverage intellectual resources generated in each location. Ultimately, these activities will advance our knowledge of the biology of aging and accelerate innovations that will help us live longer and healthier lives. “We are pleased to renew our support for the NSC3, led by AFAR. We are confident that the leadership of the NSC3 will significantly enhance the global efforts of the Nathan Shock Centers in advancing our understanding of aging biology and improving human health through these vital initiatives,” notes Viviana Perez Montes, Director of the NIA Division of Aging Biology.