News & Events

Where:Lecture Theatre 2, New Hunt's House, Guy's Campus, King's College London
When:12 November 2019
The full schedule is available here.
Register here.
Read more about the summit here.
Insilico and Ageing Research at King's announce collaboration to optimise opportunities for healthy ageing and longevity
Insilico Medicine, a biotech company developing the end-to-end drug discovery pipeline utilizing next-generation artificial intelligence, announces its partnership with Ageing Research at King's (ARK) - dedicated to enhancing multidisciplinary research collaborations across King’s and King’s Health Partners to better understand the mechanisms of ageing and improving health-span.
The goal of this collaboration is to employ a set of AI-based methods, to explore patterns that have significant potential to impact healthy ageing, age-related diseases and targeted therapeutics.
Read more here.
Researchers from the Centre for Human & Applied Physiological Sciences have found that staying active keeps the body young and healthy.In collaboration with the University of Birmingham, researchers examined the health of older adults who regularly exercised during most of their adult lives and the impact this had on aging.
The research findings are detailed in two papers published yesterday in Aging Cell and are the result of an ongoing joint study by the two universities, funded by the BUPA foundation.The study involved a group of 125 amateur cyclists, aged 55-79, who underwent a series of laboratory tests. Participant results were compared to another group aged 55-79 who did not regularly exercise and a group of healthy young adults aged 20-36.Results showed that there was no loss of muscle mass and strength in the cycling group and their body fat or cholesterol levels did not increase with age.The study also revealed that regular exercise had a positive effect on the immune system. As people age, an organ called the thymus begins to shrink and produce less T cells (a type of the body’s defensive immunity cells). The regular cyclist group had thymuses that were similar in size to the young adult cohort and produced similar levels of T cells.Professor Stephen Harridge, Head of CHAPS, said: “The findings emphasise the fact that the cyclists do not exercise because they are healthy, but that they are healthy because they have been exercising for such a large proportion of their lives. Their bodies have been allowed to age optimally, free from the problems usually caused by inactivity. Remove the activity and their health would likely deteriorate.”This research has been widely covered in the media and featured on BBC News
Past Events & News
22-24 September 2019
9th UK Nuclear Envelope and Chromatin Orgasaiton Meeting, 3rd International Meeting on Laminopathies
2-5 September 2019
ARK Educational Activities
August 2018 - PhD Summer School at Peking University Health Science Centre (PUHSC) China
This year’s joint PhD summer school will be held at Peking University Health Science Centre (PUHSC), Beijing, China. The summer school will run for 1 week between 18th to 26th August 2018. This year’s theme will be ‘Chronic inflammation’. As per previous Summer Schools, the host – PUHSC - is inviting participation of 5 PhD students from each of the partner universities and 2 academic staff. For the 5 selected PhD students:
- PUHSC will cover accommodation and meals during their stay in Beijing.
- King’s will cover the round trip flight tickets (economy class), visa application costs and additional stipend if required.
May 2018 - Ageing Research at King's (ARK) & DynAge Berlin Workshop
Joint Research Workshop to launch the partnership between Ageing Research at King's (ARK) & DynAge Berlin (Ageing consortium of Freie Universität, Charite, DIFE, Robert Koch Institut & Max Planck Institut) 3 & 4 May 2018 at King's College London, Guy's Campus The workshop focused on ‘The role of Microcirculation in Ageing’, starting midday on the 3rd May and ending late afternoon on the 4th May. The program featured short talks and discussions, poster presentations and a networking lunch and dinner.The aim of this workshop was to define collaboration topics to be developed into work packages for an International Research Training Group (IRTG) - German (DFG) funding for joint PhD studentships.
August 2017 - PhD Summer School at Karolinska Institute
ARK - International PhD Summer School at Karolinska Institute
Brain aging – Karolinska summer school
This doctoral summer school was organized during August 14-25, 2017 in Stockholm as a collaborative effort with the Keio University, Beijing University Health Science Center, King’s College London and Karolinska Institutet. The summer school director was Professor Masato Yasui from Keio University. The course is part of a very successful series of collaborative summer schools.
ARK Committee selected PhD students to attend the summer school based on their CV, a brief description of their PhD project and primary supervisor's letter of support.
The purpose of the summer school for doctoral students is to increase the understanding of brain aging and its cellular and molecular mechanisms, including tools and technologies applied. Upon completion of the course, the doctoral students can describe important concepts in the cellular and molecular mechanisms relating to brain aging, describe differences between normal and pathological brain aging, and critically evaluate important methods and technologies applied in brain aging research.
The main contents of the course cover physiological and pathological brain aging and their cellular and molecular mechanisms; from basic neuroscience to clinical diseases such as neurodegenerative diseases and Alzheimer disease. Differences between normal and pathological brain aging are covered, as well transition from normal to pathological brain aging and risk factors for pathological brain aging. Even methods and technologies used in the study of brain aging are discussed and critically evaluated.
The course is organized as a summer school, which encompasses lectures with faculty from the participating universities, small group discussions, student presentations, a one day thematic scientific symposium organized at Nobel Forum during the first week of the summer school. During the second week, the summer school will take part in a scientific conference (Nordic summit for PhD studies August 21-22), a one day publishing course with the chief editor of the Embo Journal (August 23), and finally two day site visits to research laboratories at Karolinska Institutet.
The one day “Brain aging” symposium at Nobel Forum is part of the course and also an open symposium for any interested research personnel. The two day conference “Nordic Summit for PhD studies in Health Sciences” brings together faculty, administrators and doctoral students from 14 the medical faculties of participating universities in the
May 2017 - Biology of Ageing II Conference 'Impactful Interventions'
Biology of Ageing II Conference 'Impactful Interventions'
Organised by A*Star and National University of Singapore in association with ARK
When: 14th - 16th November 2017
Where: Grand Cophorne Waterfront Hotel, Singapore
ARK and the KCL graduate School sponsored travel prizes of £500 each to early career investigator, postdoctoral researchers, PhD and MSc students to attend.
During the conference research experts and leaders in the field discussed various biological aspects of ageing and especially interventions as well as related mechanisms to sustain and/or restore functional capacity in older adults. The interventions discussed included nutritional supplements, caloric intake regulation, exercise, drugs, and others, in both human and animal models. The muscolo-skeletal, immune, metabolic and cognitive aspects of ageing were among the topics covered. Scientists, clinicians and groups interested in restoring functional capacity and understanding the biology behind the effectiveness of these interventions attended this scientific conference.
Read the King's news story about the event here
ARK International Lecture Series events
2019
How Does Low Social Status Promote Early Aging? Evidence from the US Health and Retirement Study
Speaker: Professor Eileen Crimmins, PhD, University of Southern California AARP Professor of Gerontology, University Professor, Director, Multidisciplinary Research Training in Gerontology PhD Program
When: 17.00, Wednesday 6 March 2019
Where: Bush House Lecture Theatre 1 BH(S) 1.01, The Strand Campus, King’s College London
More information about this lecture can be found here
Exploring cellular variability in the immune system - origins, dynamics and clinical implications
Speaker: Dr Shai Shen-Orr, Associate Professor, Head, Laboratory of Systems Immunology & Precision Medicine, Faculty of Medicine
Where: Anatomy Lecture Theatre, Hodgkin Building, Guy's Campus
When: 13.00 - 14.00, Thursday 13 June
2018
Aging, Chronic Disease, and Senolytic Agents
Speaker: James L. Kirkland, Noaber Foundation Professor of Aging Research, Director, Mayo Clinic Kogod Center on Aging, Rochester, MN, USA
When: 17.00, Monday 10 December 2018
Where: Lecture Theatre 2, New Hunt's House, Guy's Campus.
More information can be found here.
Mitochondrial Interactions between nitric oxide and oxygen: physiology and pathophysiology
31 May 2018 - 17:00 Lecture Theatre 1, New Hunt’s House, Guy's Campus
Keynote speakers:
Professor Ed Byrne AC President & Principal, King’s College LondonTalk: From mitochondrial cytopathies to ageing – some thoughts Prof Byrne biography & Professor Sir Salvador Moncada FRS, FMedSci Cancer Domain Director, School of Medical Sciences, University of ManchesterTalk: Mitochondrial Interactions between nitric oxide and oxygen: physiology and pathophysiology Prof Moncada biography
Micronutrients - perspectives for a healthy life
16 April 2018 - 17:00 Lecture Theatre 2, New Hunt’s House, Guy's Campus Keynote speaker: Professor Manfred EggersdorferUniversity of Groningen and Senior Vice President of DSM NutritionTalk: Micronutrients - perspectives for a healthy life & Speaker:Dr Claire StevesSenior Clinical Lecturer in the Department of Twin Research & Genetic Epidemiology, honorary Consultant at Guy's and St Thomas Hospital, and King's College HospitalTalk: Translational ageing research at KHP: successful ageing of humans and our microbial friends
2017
Symbiosis and Dysbiosis of the Microbiome – lessons from the mouse
22 November 2017 - 17:00 Guy's Tower Lecture Theatre, Guy's Campus, King's College London. Keynote speakers: Professor Mike Curtis Executive Dean, Dental Institute, King's College LondonTalk: 'Symbiosis and Dysbiosis of the Microbiome – lessons from the mouse'. Dr Marc-Emmauel DumasReader in Translational Systems Medicine, Imperial College London Talk: 'Metabolomics in microbiomics research: from markers to mechanistic targets'.
Using exercise to improve physical capacity and address frailty in older people: Towards a precision prescription era
20 June 2017 - 15:00, Edmond J. Safra Lecture Theatre, Strand Campus, King’s College London The ARK International lecture took place in partnership with the Older Person’s Fellowship Conference. Keynote speaker: Professor Mikel IzquierdoHead of the department of Health Sciences, University of Navarra, Spain.Talk: Using exercise to improve physical capacity and address frailty in older people: Towards a precision prescription era'. Speaker:Professor Finbarr MartinEmeritus Consultant Geriatrician, Department of Ageing and Health, Guy’s and St Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust. Talk: 'Future models of care in ageing society: Implications for workforce development'.
Older Person's Fellowship Conference 201720th June 2017, 09:00, Edmond J. Safra Lecture Theatre, Strand Campus, King’s College London Quality Improvement and Leadership in Older People's Care: A national conference brings together excellence in nurse leadership in research and innovation in care, and service development for older people.
For better or for worse: Old-age health trends and health inequalities over the life course
20 March 2017 - 17.00, Lecture Theatre 2, New Hunt’s House, Guy’s Campus, King’s College London
Keynote speaker: Professor Johan FritzellDirector, Aging Research Center (ARC)Karolinska Institutet/Stockholm University, SwedenTalk: For better or for worse: Old-age health trends and health inequalities over the life course Speaker:Dr Maxim FreydinResearch Fellow in PainOmicsDepartment of TwinsUK ResearchKing’s College LondonTalk: OMICs studies of chronic pain
2016
Human Ageing: Nature vs Nurture
15 December 2016 - 17.00, Lecture Theatre 2, New Hunt’s House, Guy’s Campus, King’s College London
Keynote speaker: Professor Janet M LordInstitute of Inflammation and Ageing&MRC-ARUK Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing ResearchUniversity of BirminghamHuman Ageing: Nature vs Nurture Speaker:Professor Catherine ShanahanCardiovascular DivisionBHF Centre of Research ExcellenceKing’s College LondonBiomarkers of premature vascularageing
Ageing healthily
3 October 2016 - 17.00, Lecture Theatre 2, New Hunt’s House, Guy’s Campus, King’s College London
Keynote speaker: Professor Dame Linda PartridgeDirector, Max Planck Institute for Biology of AgeingCologne, GermanyTalk: Ageing healthily
Speaker:Professor Stephen HarridgeDirector, Centre of Human and Aerospace Physiological Sciences,King’s College LondonTalk: Ageing, Exercise and Physiological function
ARK Lecture Series - special guest lectures
2019
In search of a longevity dividend
Speaker: Professor Andrew Scott, London Business School
It is well known that across the world the average age of a society is increasing. However, it is also the case that how we are ageing is changing. If the former creates economic challenges then the latter creates economic opportunities. In this talk, Andrew Scott will consider the relative magnitude of these two different factors, the implications that both ageing and longevity have for policy and what measures need to be adopted to maximise any longevity dividend.
Perennials - the most disruptive generation: understanding old age in the 21st century
Speaker: Ben Page, Visiting Professor, The Policy Institute, Faculty of Social Science & Public Policy and Chief Executive of Ipsos MORI
Ben Page has been Chief Executive of Ipsos MORI since 2009. He joined MORI in 1987 after graduating from Oxford University in 1986 and was one of the leaders of its first management buyout in 2000. A frequent writer and speaker on trends, leadership and performance management, he has directed thousands of surveys examining consumer trends and citizen behaviour. Since 1992 he has worked closely with both Conservative and Labour ministers and senior policy makers across government, leading on work for Downing Street, the Cabinet Office, the Home Office and the Department of Health, as well as a wide range of local authorities and NHS Trusts. Ben is a fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and serves on advisory groups at the Kings Fund and the Social Market Foundation. He recently served as a commissioner on the Resolution Foundation's Intergenerational Commission. He is a Council member of the CBI for London.
Where: Bush House Auditorium, BH(N)-1.01, Bush House, Strand Campus
When: 17.00 - 18.30 (followed by drinks reception)
Registration & More information here.
ARK Keynote Lecture: Better Together: the enduring power of connecting the generations
2018
Identifying Interventions that Delay Ageing in Humans
2 November 2018 - ARK Special Guest Lecture: Identifying Interventions that Delay Ageing in Humans
Speaker: Professor Brian KennedyDirector Centre for Healthy Ageing, National University of Singapore When: 13.00, Friday 2 November, 12:00 - 13:00Where: Lecture Theatre 1, New Hunt's House, Guy's Campus
Olfactory function and dysfunction: From basic research on model animals to human neurodegenerative disease
1 February 2018 - ARK Special Guest Lecture: Olfactory function and dysfunction: From basic research on model animals to human neurodegenerative disease Speaker: Prof. Brian SmithTrustees Professor of ASU, School of Life Sciences, Associate Dean of Graduate Initiatives, Graduate College, Arizona State University, Arizona, USA When: 1st February 2018, 16:30 - 17:30Where: Room G3 in New Hunt’s House, Guy's Campus
Annual David Hobman Lecture 2018
Spirituality and Ageing Speaker: The Rt Revd and Rt Hon Dame Sarah Mullally DBE, Bishop of LondonWhen: 17.30 - 20.00, Monday 19 NovemberWhere: The Great Hall at KCL Strand Campus, WC2R 2LSMore information can be found here.
2017
Novel chemogenetic models of oxidative stress: implications for health and ageing
9 November 2017 - ARK Special Guest Lecture: Novel chemogenetic models of oxidative stress: implications for health and ageing Speaker: Prof. Thomas M. Michel, MD, PhD, Prof Michel biography link. Cardiovascular Medicine specialist at Brigham and Women's Hospital. Professor of Medicine (biochemistry) at Harvard Medical School When: 9th November 2017, 17:00Where: 4.63, Franklin Wilkins Building, Waterloo Campus
Possible Role(s) of Declining Adaptive Homeostasis in Ageing and Neurodegeneration
23 October 2017 - ARK Special Guest Lecture: Possible Role(s) of Declining Adaptive Homeostasis in Ageing and Neurodegeneration Speaker: Prof. Kelvin Davies Dean of Faculty, James E. Birren Chair of Gerontology, and Distinguished Professor of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Molecular Medicine, at The University of Southern California,Los Angeles, CA, USA When: 23rd October 2017, 18:30Where: Room G3 in New Hunt’s House, Guy's Campus
Modelling ageing in the short-lived killifish Nothobranchius furzeri
12 October 2017 - ARK Special Guest Lecture: Modelling ageing in the short-lived killifish Nothobranchius furzeriIn partnership with ARK and the Dental Institute Speaker: Prof. Christoph EnglertLeibniz Institute on Ageing, Fritz Lipmann Institute (FLI), Jena, Germany When: 12th October 2017, 12:00Where: Lecture Room, Floor 18, Tower Wing, Guy's Campus
Adult neurogenesis and the activity-dependent individualization of the brain
3 October 2017 - ARKSpecial Guest Lecture: Adult neurogenesis and the activity-dependent individualization of the brainIn partnership with ARK and the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience Speaker: Prof. Dr. med. Gerd KempermannGerman Centerfor Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) andDFG Research Center for Regenerative Therapies (CRTD), TU Dresden, Germany. When: 3rd October 2017, 14:00Where: The James Black Centre, Large Seminar Room, Denmark Hill Campus
Laminopathies: From Premature Ageing to Cardiomyopathy
30 March 2017 - ARK special Guest Lecture: Laminopathies: From Premature Ageing to Cardiomyopathy Speaker: Dr Colin StewartA* Institute of Medical BiologySingapore When: Thursday 30th March, 16.00Where: Large Seminar Room, James Black Centre, Denmark Hill
The Oxygen Paradox, Adaptive Homeostasis and Ageing
29 March 2017 - ARK Special Guest Lecture: The Oxygen Paradox, Adaptive Homeostasis and Ageing
Speaker: Professor Kelvin DaviesDavis School of GerontologyUSC Free Radical InstituteUniversity of Southern California When: Wednesday 29th March 2017, 14:00Where: Room 4.63, Franklin Wilkins Building, Waterloo Campus
Ageing and Redox Homeostasis
27 March 2017 - ARK Special Guest Lecture: Ageing and Redox Homeostasis
Speaker: Professor Henry ForemanDavis School of GerontologyUniversity of Southern California When: Monday 27th March 2017, 16:30Where: Room 4.63, Franklin Wilkins Building, Waterloo Campus
ARK News
January 2018 - Middle-age can reverse heart risk with exercise, study suggests
BBC news: Middle-age can reverse heart risk with exercise, study suggests
Dr Richard Siow, Vice-Dean for the Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine at King's College London and Director of Ageing Research at King's, told the BBC the study was valuable in that shows we can delay cardiovascular ageing.
He said it provided further evidence that "we can, in a way, rejuvenate or make the cells in the heart, and also in the blood vessels for that matter, resemble younger cells through an exercise programme".
"I think that's a very important take-home message for those of us who may have a doom and gloom view there's nothing we can do about it. Yes there is, we can start by getting off the couch to have a more active lifestyle."
Read full story here
November 2017 - Academics explore biological interventions for ageing populations
Academics explore biological interventions for ageing populations

King’s College London’s Ageing Research at King's (ARK) initiative has collaborated with the Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR), the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the National University Health System (NUHS) to host Biology of Ageing: Impactful Interventions.
The conference, which took place in Singapore between 14-16 November 2017, brought together high profile academics from a range of top universities and organisations around the world to explore the possibilities of, and opportunities to, age healthily, reduce the effects of ageing and prevent onset of age related diseases. Themed around ‘impactful interventions’, the conference aimed to better understand the mechanisms of ageing and develop therapeutic interventions to extend human health-span in a practical and efficient way.
King’s academics Dr Richard Siow, Vice Dean (International) of the Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine and Committee Chair of ARK, and Professor Catherine Shanahan, School of Cardiovascular Medicine and Sciences, participated in the conference, along with ten PhD students and two post-doctoral researchers from King’s. Dr Siow, said: “The conference highlighted the latest findings by researchers in the ageing field from King’s, and other institutions in USA, Europe, Asia and Australia, to emphasise the importance of tackling and preventing age-related diseases, healthy ageing and the possibility of rejuvenation. The partnership between ARK with A*STAR and NUS has bought together international leaders in the field to develop a research network that addresses the mechanisms of ageing and longevity, and the challenges of ageing societies".
”Professor Barry Halliwell, Chairman of the Biomedical Research Council, A*STAR, and Senior Advisor to the President at NUS, said: "The conference was a great success and I am very grateful to King's for partnering with NUS and A*STAR to help make it so". Research themes covered in the conference ranged from neurodegeneration, cardiovascular disease and exercise in the elderly through to development of fasting mimicking diets as an example of an efficient intervention for extending health span. Future annual conferences on ageing with the network of ARK international partners are being organised.