4 Pitt projects making life healthier — not just longer

Researchers at Pitt are working across a broad spectrum of disciplines to promote health and well-being across life stages. Their work in fields from aging and women's health to maternal care and mental illness shares some commonalities: proactive interventions, interdisciplinary research and a focus on enhancing the quality - not just the length - of life.

That philosophy is central to the research of Anne Newman, a distinguished professor of epidemiology in the School of Public Health and clinical director of the joint Pitt-UPMC Aging Institute and Toren Finkel, a professor of medicine in the School of Medicine.

"The goal of what we call 'healthspan' is to optimize health for as long as possible," Newman said. As principal investigator of the RIGHT Study (Reducing Inflammation for Greater Health Trial), Newman is using an anti-inflammatory drug to target persistent low-level immune system activity without affecting people's ability to fight off infections or diseases.

Finkel, who is also director of the Aging Institute, complements this work with the development of new drugs specifically designed to block inflammation. Their collaborative research provides a foundation for developing targeted interventions that promote healthy aging.

"If we find people do better with these very targeted biological therapies," Finkel said, "we could potentially use this strategy for older adults who are beginning to become frail, and potentially prevent many of the diseases of aging from ever occurring."

Read more about Finkel and Newman's work in the Office of the Senior Vice Chancellor for Research's 2024 Annual Report - and read on for more stories of researchers focusing on healthy aging.