Brain, Cognition, and Hormones in Late Middle-Age: A Twin Study Perspective One of the things that aging researchers are interested in is learning about what affects cognition and brain function as we age. Professor Kremen will present recent research on the complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors that affect cognitive and brain aging. The focus is on: 1) genes, cortisol, testosterone, and DHEAS; 2) how they may interact with one another; and 3) how their interaction may change with age. Cortisol is the so-called “stress hormone.” Testosterone and DHEAS are hormones that have some opposing effects on cortisol, and both testosterone and DHEAS decrease with age. By studying the workings of these processes in identical and fraternal twins, the researchers are able to sort out what genes cause and what the environment causes. S. Kremen, Ph.D. Professor, Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego Chief of the Lifespan Unit of the Center of Excellence for Stress and Mental Health at the VA San Diego Healthcare System. August 19, 2009, 5:30 p.m. Garren Auditorium UCSD Basic Science Building University of California, San Diego

Free parking is available by phoning (858) 534-6299 AT LEAST THREE WORKING DAYS IN ADVANCE to receive a free parking permit. Attendees may also purchase permits at the parking kiosk on Gilman Drive or park at the metered sites.


Directions:

• From Interstate 5 North or South: Exit La Jolla Village Drive West
• Right on Villa La Jolla Drive
• Left on Gilman Drive
• Left into Parking Lot 602 (first stop sign)
• From parking lot, walk towards Medical Teaching Facility (MTF)
• Right through MTF and enter Basic Science Building through glass doors
• Left down first hallway

For nearly 25 years, the Stein Institute for Research on Aging has sponsored a monthly Public Lecture Series, thanks to the efforts of its founding director, J. Edwin Seegmiller, M.D. This series allows affiliated faculty members of the Stein Institute for Research on Aging and other scientists from the UCSD School of Medicine, as well as individuals from surrounding academic and research institutions, to present the latest findings in their respective fields of expertise and share their present work with the general community. All of these lectures focus on topics related to healthy aging or age-related diseases. Over 250 public lectures have been presented. In addition to the actual lecture event, these lectures are also taped and televised on UCSD-TV, which reaches an audience of approximately 2.7 million households from San Diego and across the nation.

As well as being replayed on UCSD-TV, copies of the lectures are kept in the Stein Institute for Research on Aging’s library (the Suzanne Angelucci Educational Center),which is located on the second floor of the Stein Clinical Research Building on the UCSD School of Medicine campus. These videos are available for rental to faculty and current donors to the Stein Institute. Additionally, many of the public lectures are also available on UCSD-TV’s website “video on demand” programming.




Lectures are videotaped by UCSD-TV and air on Cox Digital Cable, Ch. 135; Time Warner Cable, Ch. 18; Time Warner Del Mar, Ch. 68; or UHF (without cable) channel 35. Program schedules are available at www.ucsd.tv/sira. Stein Institute lectures also air nationally on UCTV, available on Echostar Satellite's DISH Network, channel 9412; on cable in california; and via live webstream. More information can be found at www.ucsd.tv/sira.