Stein Institute for Research on Aging & Center for Healthy Aging
Letter from Director, Dr. Alison Moore
We are dedicated to the development and application of the latest advances in biomedical & behavioral science knowledge to issues of successful, healthy aging and the prevention & reduction of the burden of disability and disease
Emerging Scholars in Healthy Aging Research Program
The Stein Institute for Research on Aging and the UC San Diego Center for Healthy Aging (SIRA/CHA) is thrilled to have launched the Emerging Scholars in Healthy Aging Research Program in 2025, offering up to $30,000 in pilot funding to support UC San Diego graduate students and postdoctoral fellows conducting research that advances the science of healthy aging. Scholars may use funds for research or partial salary support and gain access to SIRA/CHA resources including the SAGE Study, the Living Lab, and the UC San Diego Geroscience Lab.
Applications are currently closed, with the next call for proposals planned for Fall 2026. To learn more about the program and meet our current Emerging Scholars, please visit our program page.
UC San Diego’s Accelerating Innovation to Market Program Announces 2026 Cohort
Resilience and Healthy Aging Symposium 2025
Thank you to those who attended our Resilience and Healthy Aging Symposium in September! For those who could not attend, we have several videos available on UCTV. Please visit our symposium page for more info!
Dr. Anthony Molina named an XPRIZE Healthspan Top 40 Awardee!
Congratulations to Our Scientific Director, Dr. Anthony Molina – Named an XPRIZE Healthspan Top 40 Awardee!
We’re proud to announce that Dr. Molina has been selected as one of the Top 40 Milestone 1 awardees in the $101M XPRIZE Healthspan competition, recognizing innovative efforts to extend healthy aging and improve quality of life.
Visit the SAGE Study - Researchers Page
Show your love for healthy aging!
Our Aging is Beautiful T-shirts are now available for a $35 donation. Support aging research & wear your passion proudly!
"Circadian Rhythms and Intermittent Fasting and Their Roles in Promoting Healthy Lifespan" Event Recap
The 3rd Annual LEE Tuh-Fuh & Ruby LEE Wang Zu-Ming Endowed Lecture, held on October 21, 2025, was a tremendous success, bringing together nearly 200 attendees both in-person and virtually. This year’s featured speaker, Dr. Satchin Panda of the Salk Institute, delivered an engaging presentation titled “Circadian Rhythms and Intermittent Fasting and Their Roles in Promoting Healthy Lifespan.” His talk offered fascinating insights into how aligning daily routines with the body’s internal clock can optimize metabolic health and promote longevity.
Living Lab Science Talks and Meet & Greet
Scholar Spotlight: Kelly Kusche
We are pleased to announce Kelly Kusche as the newest Stein Institute Scholar. Kelly is a first-year Ph.D. student in Biomedical Sciences at UC San Diego and brings a deep commitment to advancing research in healthy aging.
Under the mentorship of Stein Institute Scientific Director, Dr. Anthony Molina, Kelly is dedicating her dissertation research to understanding how lifelong environmental exposures influence biological aging. Her project involves analyzing over 1,200 chemical compounds in blood samples collected from older adults across diverse communities in San Diego County. By linking these data with participants’ physical and social environments, her work seeks to uncover how geographic and socioeconomic factors impact the aging process.
Kelly’s background spans research in neurological disorders and therapies for age-related diseases. As a Stein Institute Scholar, she aims to help ensure that the discoveries of longevity science benefit all communities—particularly those that have been historically underrepresented in aging research.
Training and supporting emerging scientists like Kelly is central to the Stein Institute’s mission to extend health span and improve aging for all. We are thrilled to welcome Kelly to the Stein Institute Family!
Centenarian Documentary
Centenarian celebrates longevity, resilience, and the power of aging well. This inspiring documentary explores the lives of those who have reached 100 and beyond, highlighting the very themes we study at the Stein Institute—what contributes to a long, meaningful life and how we can promote healthy aging for all.
UC San Diego was proud to participate in the film, with our own Dr. Anthony Molina, research staff, and Stein Institute building featured in this trailer! We can’t wait for the release of this film!
Living Lab in Discoveries Magazine
The Living Lab is featured in Discoveries Magazine! This unique space at the Belmont Senior Village Living near campus connects UC San Diego researchers with older adults, fostering collaboration & driving innovation in aging research.
Resilience Program
After nearly a decade of research led by our Executive Director, Danielle K. Glorioso, we are thrilled to announce that our Resilience Intervention is now officially licensed through UC San Diego and available for implementation in community settings. This evidence-based, six-session program is specifically designed to enhance resilience, compassion, and self-compassion in older adults. It has been studied in various community settings across the United States, as well as in England and Israel, with results showing improvements in resilience and self-compassion, along with reductions in perceived stress, depression, and loneliness.
For more information about our intervention, please contact Danielle K. Glorioso at dglorioso@health.ucsd.edu
News...
Welcome Associate Directors!
We are thrilled to welcome four new associate directors: Maria Rosario (Happy) G. Araneta Ph.D., MPH, Sarah Banks Ph.D., Colin Depp, Ph.D., and Benjamin Smarr, Ph.D.
Public Lecture Series
The Stein Institute for Research on Aging and Center for Healthy Aging offer free public lectures promoting physical and mental well-being and staying active throughout life. Join us for this popular series with renowned researchers and clinicians sharing their expertise with the community.
Medical Student Training in Aging Research (MSTAR) Program
Support the Center
Please consider donating to our mission! Your donations fund age related research, community events, they allow us to train the doctors of tomorrow, and much more.