Building networks and community around aging research (Leanne Jones and Saul Villeda of the Bakar Aging Research Institute)

Earlier this year, the University of California San Francisco launched the Bakar Aging Research Institute (BARI), a scientific community that aims to translate breakthroughs in aging research across many disciplines into new approaches and treatments that help people remain healthy and vibrant in later life. Here to tell us about the Institute are Professor Leanne Jones, who moved from UCLA to UCSF to serve as Director of BARI, and Associate Professor and Associate Director of BARI, Saul Villeda. Today Dr. Jones and Dr. Villeda join host Chris Patil to discuss the mission and structure of the Institute, as well as their goal to bring people from different campuses together to push forward the field of aging research as a whole. Dr. Jones and Dr. Villeda talk about the collaborative culture at UCSF, lowering barriers to resources across disciplines, and what inspired the idea behind the Institute. They explain how they plan to foster communication between basic scientists, clinicians, and healthcare workers to enhance translational medicine, as well as the pathway to commercialization for BARI, and the value of building a community around improving human health together. Finally, Chris asks Dr. Jones and Dr. Villeda about the greatest challenges they’ve had to overcome in starting the Institute, their top priorities moving forward, and what they’re most excited to achieve through BARI over the next five to ten years. Episode Highlights: Mission and structure of the https://bakarinstitute.ucsf.edu/ (Bakar Aging Research Institute) (BARI) Responsibilities and benefits of membership in the institute  Connecting researchers across campuses  Network creation and community creation Spirit of community will help attract other institutions to collaborate Providing central resources and lowering barriers to research What inspired the Institute and founding vision of Barbara Bakar How BARI will enhance and promote translational medicine, translational applications Improving communication amongst sci