The Center for Advancing Exercise and Nutrition Research on Aging

The Center for Advancing Exercise and Nutrition Research on Aging (CAENRA) focuses on implementing age-related disease and treatment paradigms in animal models and the use of high magnetic field magnetic resonance (MR) techniques to detect and monitor treatment efficacy. Projects underway and planned explore diet and exercise treatments for conditions such as muscle atrophy, tumor growth and regression, atherosclerotic lesion formation and/or regression, bone and cartilage degeneration and/or regeneration, and brain degenerative diseases. The Center addresses major issues affecting the aging population in an attempt to uncover some of the underlying mechanisms so that new, cost effective alternatives to pharmaceutical intervention may be uncovered. The Department of Nutrition, Food and Exercise Sciences (NFES) has partnered with the NSF-supported National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (NHMFL) in this effort. MR techniques can be performed in vivo on laboratory animals to allow monitoring of cell regeneration in response to nutrients and exercise. Such time course studies, with repeated MR measurements to complement biochemical assays, are critical to increasing our knowledge of the progression of diseases related to aging.

Mission Statement and Focus Areas

Mission: To develop translational research across disciplines and levels of biological organization through nutrition and exercise to improve the health of our aging population.

Focus Areas: The Center focuses on analyzing the functional decline in aging bone, brain and muscle cells using magnetic resonance (MR) imaging with the intent to improve the quality of life for aging individuals.