On August 17, 18, 19, and 20, Dr. Parvin Shahrestani from California State University, Fullerton taught a summer intensive class on Aging.

Here are some comments from Dr. Parvin and her student.

<Dr. Parvin Shahrestani from California State University>
I really enjoyed spending these four days with the students at Tokyo Metropolitan University. We began with three seemingly simple questions: What is aging? How does aging happen? Why does aging happen? We used these questions to explore aging from cellular, molecular, and evolutionary perspectives. I especially enjoyed the students’ thoughtful questions and the ideas that emerged from our discussions. I am grateful to the students and faculty at TMU for the warm welcome and for the opportunity to think and learn together.

<Impressions from a student who had taken Dr. Shahrestani's class>

-Why did you take the Biology of Aging class this year?

I took the Biology of Aging class because I wanted to deepen my understanding of the biological mechanisms underlying aging. As a student of biological sciences with an interest in cell biology, I was particularly interested in learning how changes at the cellular and molecular levels contribute to aging and age-related diseases.

-What was the most interesting part of the class?

The most interesting part for me was learning about the difference between chronological aging and biological aging. I was also fascinated to learn that aging is not experienced in the same way by all organisms. Learning about the cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in aging helped me understand how complex and diverse the aging process can be.

-Has your way of thinking changed since taking the class?

Yes. Before taking the class, I mainly thought of aging as a natural process that occurs as organisms become older. However, I came to understand that aging is much more complex than I had imagined, and that not all organisms experience aging in the same way. I found this particularly amazing and it changed the way I think about aging. The course made me more curious about why aging occurs and why its effects can be so different among organisms.

-Overall comments

I really enjoyed the Biology of Aging class. It gave me a broader perspective on aging and introduced me to concepts that I had not considered before. I especially enjoyed learning about the diversity of aging among organisms and the biological mechanisms behind it. Overall, the class was very interesting and made me more curious about aging as a biological phenomenon.