Ageing is the main risk factor for diseases such as cancer, dementia and cardiovascular diseases. A discussion paper by the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina calls for a paradigm shift in research and medical care. Instead of just treating the symptoms of age-related diseases, more research should be conducted into ageing itself in order to develop preventative and geroprotective strategies. The aim is to extend healthy lifespans and promote resilience in old age. This approach is supported by the Leibniz Research Alliance “Ageing and Resilience” (LFV-AR) and the Leibniz Institute on Aging (FLI) in Jena.

The paper “Concepts for a new medicine in an ageing society – perspectives for research and medical care (2025)” emphasizes the need for interdisciplinary research into biological ageing processes. The LFV-AR, represented by Prof. Helen Morrison (FLI, Jena) and Prof. Oliver Tüscher (Leibniz Institute for Resilience Research, Mainz), combines expertise from biology, medicine, psychology, social sciences and economics. The consortium is researching how lifestyle, nutrition, education and socio-economic factors influence the adaptability of the body and mind in old age. The aim is to identify protective mechanisms that mitigate stress in old age.

The FLI in Jena, which has been conducting biomedical ageing research since 2004, plays a central role. With around 350 employees from around 40 nations, the institute investigates the biological basis of ageing in order to understand the development of age-related diseases and improve the quality of life in old age. Prof. Morrison emphasizes that embedding biological findings in interdisciplinary contexts is crucial in order to develop scientifically sound and socially relevant strategies for healthy ageing. Prof. Dario Riccardo Valenzano, Scientific Director of the FLI, emphasizes that the focus on geroscience – the study of biological ageing processes for the prevention of several diseases – links Germany to global trends.

The discussion paper thus positions the Leibniz Association at the forefront of ageing research and supports the WHO/UN Decade on Healthy Ageing (2021-2030). It marks a strategic milestone for the development of innovative, preventive approaches in medicine.

“Placing the biological aspects of ageing in a wider interdisciplinary context and showing how we can develop scientifically sound and socially compatible strategies for healthy ageing is extremely important for us scientists,” emphasizes Morrison.

Original Paper

Further information:

Center for Aging Research Jena (ZAJ)

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