When the Faculty’s new Advanced Aging ResearCH Centre (ARCH) opens its doors this fall, it will bring researchers from across disciplines together to develop personalized approaches to health care aimed at changing the course of aging.
Sound like something out of a sci-fi novel?
Not for Bill McIlroy, chair of the Department of Kinesiology and head of ARCH. “People don’t age one system at a time, so if you want to tackle the challenges of aging, you’ve got to assess the whole body and all the systems together,” he said.
The new centre will house specialized, state-of-the-art labs to examine the metabolic, neurologic, cardiovascular and musculoskeletal changes that happen as people age. Researchers hope not only to better understand the aging process, but develop tailored interventions that can reduce risk for chronic diseases and slow the progression of age-related change.
In addition to conducting research and running clinical trials, the centre will focus on developing new, wearable technologies for seniors — innovations that will allow researchers to continuously and remotely monitor changes in health status. “Slow but accumulating changes in health are difficult to detect,” said McIlroy. “The occurrence and progression of age-related change and disease are remarkably different for each person.”
With a $1.3 million grant from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), ARCH will contain the most comprehensive collection of equipment focused on aging in the country.
"ARCH is the first facility of its kind in Canada. It will provide a gold-standard of testing that will allow researchers to take the national lead in advancing new technologies and best practices for healthy aging."
