Dr. Karen Hooker, Center Director
Dr. Hooker
has both scientific and administrative experience, having served on study section
at the National Institute on Aging from 1998-2002, OSU Director of the Program on Gerontology
1994 – 97 and 2002-present; Associate Director of the Oregon
Geriatric Education Center – OSU, 1995 – present; Interim Department Chair HDFS 2003-04.
Previous appointments include Visiting Scientist at the Max Planck Institute for
Human Development in Berlin; Assistant and Associate Professor in Psychology at Syracuse
University; and Postdoctoral Fellow at Duke University. She is a Fellow of the
Gerontological Society of America (GSA) and of Division 20 (Adult Development
and Aging) of the American Psychological Association (APA) and is currently Associate
Editor of Journal of Gerontology: Psychological Sciences. She has published widely in
leading journals and her research and training has been funded by the National Institute
on Aging, National Institute of Mental Health, Spencer Foundation, and the
Alzheimer’s Research Alliance.
Dr. Tory Hagen, Core Director: Diet, Genes, and Aging
Dr. Hagen is currently Associate Professor of Biochemistry and
Biophysics and Principal Investigator in the Linus Pauling Institute.
He has held previous
positions as a Research Scientist at the University of California-Berkeley,
and as Postdoctoral Fellow at both Berkeley and Emory. Dr. Hagen
has numerous
publications and is currently PI on a project funded by the National
Institute on Aging (R01: Dietary Prevention of Cardiac Mitochondrial
Aging) and is
Project Leader on a Program Project grant from NIH/NCCAM (Balz Frei,
PI, P01: Lower Vulnerability to Toxins in Aging by Treatment with
Lipoic Acid).
He has excellent scientific and administrative capabilities to run
this core. Lab Facilities. Investigators in the Center for Healthy
Aging Research
will have full access to the Oxidative and Nitrative Stress Core
laboratory facilities, which are part of the Linus Pauling Institute.
This core comprises
approximately 650 sq. ft. of laboratory space and provides sample
analysis for a battery of oxidative and nitrative markers. The core
also has the expertise to measure low molecular weight antioxidants,
such as ascorbate, urate,
glutathione (GSH and GSSG), lipoic acid, and tocopherols; moreover,
total antioxidant capacity (e.g. ferric reducing antioxidant parameter
[FRAP] and oxygen radical absorbance capacity
[ORAC]) can also be monitored and quantified. Alan Taylor heads the
lab facility and provides expert technical advice as to sample preparation
and
analysis. Additionally, the Medical Feeding Unit of the Human Nutrition
Research Laboratories (Milam Hall 103, 105, 107) is available for
research participants to interact with investigators to complete
questionnaires and schedule
assessments, have meals in the metabolic feeding kitchen, and have
blood drawn in a room with space for sample aliquoting.
Drs. Russell Turner and Mike Pavol, Core Directors: Bone Health, Exercise, and Function in Aging
Dr. Turner is Professor in Exercise and Sport Science starting
in January 2005, and the newly hired Director of the
Bone Research Laboratory. Previously he was at the Mayo Clinic where
he built an extensive research group that
examined interaction between hormones, vitamins, growth factors,
gravity, drugs, and nutrition on gene expression by
bone cells. His current projects, three of which are funded by NIA,
one by NASA, and four by industry
pharmaceutical companies, are designed to examine the effects of
hormones on bone metabolism in order to develop
effective treatments for osteoporosis and other skeletal disorders.
Dr.
Pavol is
an Assistant Professor in Exercise and Sport Science and
Director of the Biomechanics Laboratory. His research interests are
in falls prevention, lifespan promotion of bone
health, and biomechanics of transfers during air travel for people
with disabilities. Dr. Pavol has published extensively
and currently is Co-Investigator on a project from the U.S. Dept.
of Education, NIDRR, The Rehabilitation Engineering Research
Center for Accessible Public Transportation.
Lab Facilities
Together, the Bone Research Lab, Biomechanics Lab and Sports Medicine/Disabilities Research Lab form a 6700 sq. ft. complex in the Women’s Building on the OSU campus. The Bone Research Lab provides the core with the capability to measure site-specific and whole-body bone mineral density in living humans using a Hologic QDR 4500A bone densitometer. The Biomechanics Lab possesses the capability to precisely measure human movement and its associated forces within a 36’ x 25’ x 11’ data collection space. Body movements are measured by a VICON 3-dimensional optical motion capture system, with eight high-speed, high-resolution cameras. For subject protection, a ceiling-mounted fall-arrest system runs the length of the lab. The Sports Medicine/Disabilities Research Lab provides facilities for both balance assessment and strength measurement. A Neurocom SmartBalance Master and a Biodex Stability System provide the capability to evaluate balance and postural stability under normal and altered sensory conditions. A Biodex isokinetic dynamometer allows muscle strength to be measured under static and dynamic conditions. The Muscle Physiology Lab and the soon-to-be-created Bone Histomorphometry Lab are located in the basement of Milam Hall. The Muscle Physiology Lab is a custom-designed system for analyzing the mechanical properties of skinned muscle cells. Finally, the Bone Biomechanics Lab, located in Rogers Hall, provides the core with the capability to study the microstructural properties of bone through a custom-built x-ray Computed Tomography system. In addition to these capabilities, each laboratory possesses numerous PC, Mac, and laptop computers for data analysis. Scientific software available includes Labview, MATLAB, Visual C++, SPSS, SAS, and SYSTAT. Ethernet connections allow access to the university’s local network and the Internet from each laboratory.
Dr. Scott Hofer, Core Director: Psychosocial Factors and Optimal Aging
Dr.
Hofer focuses his research on identifying within-person change and
between-person differences in lifespan developmental and aging-related
processes. Currently, he is conducting research on describing and identifying
predictors of individual-level change in longitudinal studies on aging, with
an emphasis on interrelationships among change and stability in health and
cognitive functioning. His research also makes use of intensive research
designs, which permit direct analysis of within-person change and variation,
and statistical approaches for inference in the context of both population
mortality and attrition.
Lab Facilities
Much of the research in this core takes place in the community or through analysis of large nationally representative longitudinal data sets, such as the Health and Retirement Study, National Survey of Families and Households, and many others. For studies involving interviews and observations, research participants are brought to Bates Hall, a modern facility designed to support research on families across the lifespan. Investigators in this core have the necessary computing facilities and access to scientific software such as SYSTAT, SPSS, LISREL, AMOS, MPLUS, and HLM for statistical analyses. HDFS faculty members Drs. Hofer, Acock and Vuchinich are available for consultation on the most recent advances in longitudinal data analytic methods.
Dr. Carmen D. Steggell, Core Director: Social and Ethical Issues in Technologies for Healthy Aging
Carmen D. Steggell is Associate Professor of Housing Studies in the Department of Design and Human Environment. Her research interests focus on housing for the aging population, particularly related to the adoption of new technologies to support aging in place. Publications and presentations focus on various aspects of residential satisfaction and the development of housing theory. She is a member of the Housing Education and Research Association and the Environmental Design Research Association.
Lab Facilities
Textile laboratories in the Department of Design and Human Environment
includes basic chemical laboratory with equipment for fiber identification
tests, and all types of instruments for fiber, yarn, and fabric's
physical and mechanical testing which are housed in a temperature
and humidity controlled room. Over twenty instruments are housed
in the textile laboratories including an Instron, Fade-O-Meter, Launder-O-Meter,
Vertical Flammability Tester, Mullen Bursting Tester, and Perspiration
Tester. The department will soon house a state-of-the-art thermal
manikin with sweating skin capabilities. The thermal manikin consists
of a carbon-epoxy shell with internal heater elements, temperature
sensors, and an integrated fluid supply system to simulate metabolic
heat and perspiration levels.
Collaborating Campus Programs and Departments
The synergy of core areas and the collaborative work between colleges and programs at Oregon State University make this a unique center.
- Program on Gerontology
- Linus Pauling Institute
- Environmental Health Sciences Center
- Biochemistry
- Biophysics
- Chemistry
- Computer Science
- Design and Human Environment
- Electrical Engineering
- Extension Family and Community Development
- Human Development and Family Sciences
- Mechanical Engineering
- Nutrition and Exercise Sciences
- Psychology
- Public Health
- Zoology
