More about the keynote speaker (from www.mayo.edu/research/faculty/kirkland-james-l-m-d-ph-d/bio-00096544)
Prof Kirkland MD PhD is a Consultant at the Division of General Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, the Mayo Clinic Rochester, USA and is Professor of Medicine and Physiology.
His major research focus is the impact of cellular aging (senescence) on age-related dysfunction and chronic diseases, especially developing methods for removing these cells and alleviating their effects. Senescent cells accumulate with aging and in such diseases as dementias, atherosclerosis, cancers, diabetes and arthritis, even in younger people.
The goal of Dr.Kirkland’s current work is to develop methods to remove these cells to delay, prevent, alleviate or partially reverse age-related chronic diseases as a group and extend health span, the period of life free of disability, pain, dependence and chronic disease.
His research team has three main focus areas:
Dr. Kirkland’s work is important in developing methods to enhance health span and delay onset of chronic age-related diseases as a group, rather than one at a time. These conditions, including diabetes, dementias, atherosclerosis, cancers and arthritis, among others, account for the bulk of morbidity, mortality and health care costs throughout most of the world.