San Antonio OAIC - Pilot and Exploratory Studies Core (PESC)

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT – PILOT/EXPLORATORY STUDIES The overall goal of the Pilot / Exploratory Studies Core (PESC) is to provide critical initial funding, infrastructure, and support for early-stage, potentially groundbreaking pilot and exploratory studies (PES) consistent with the San Antonio Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center (SA OAIC) theme: “Translational geroscience to improve the health and functional independence of all older adults”. The PESC plays a key role in the SA OAIC by supporting projects that move basic translational geroscience discoveries on aging into interventions to improve the health and functional independence in older adults. The PESC leverages the features of the Leadership and Administrative Core (LAC), Research Education Core (REC), and Resource Cores to achieve its goals through the following Specific Aims: 1. To solicit and award innovative, multidisciplinary research that tests translational geroscience interventions to improve healthy aging and independence in preclinical marmoset and human studies 2. To stimulate research that will develop and apply novel methods and technologies in older adults 3. To work closely with the Resource Cores and REC to provide infrastructure, scientific support, and funding for innovative pilot proposals from mentored, early career and established investigators 4. To build and sustain effective processes to ensure pilot study completion, robust tracking of outcomes and downstream impact, and optimal dissemination to maximize impact and translation The PESC provides peer-reviewed, merit-based support for up to five rigorously designed pilot studies in-line with the translational geroscience theme annually. Supported projects include, but are not limited to, those that test the efficacy and side effects of promising cell-based, pharmacologic, and non-pharmacologic interventions in marmosets, early human clinical trials, and other types of clinical, or population health research such as population or community-based studies. PESC has supported 32 pilot projects. 74% of the completed 26 projects have led to external funding (estimated return on investment 19:1). PESC will seek proposals in areas of rapid aging-related scientific advancement, emerging technologies, and those that aim to address health outcomes variability in South Texas. The Core leaders, having a great deal of experience directing successful pilot project programs, promote key alignments and interactions of PESC investigators with OAIC Resource Cores and resources in the broader scientific community. The Core provides close oversight and guidance to PESCsupported studies from inception, during the investigative and analytical phases, through publication, and through the submission of grant proposals. PESC is poised to sustain its robust return on investment and make a significant impact on translational geroscience regionally and nationwide.