Dr. Bradley Willcox, nationally recognized expert on healthy aging, has joined the Pacific Health Research Institute, which has made significant contributions to understanding chronic diseases of aging. Renowned expert on aging
joins isle health instituteStar-Bulletin staff
Willcox, formerly of Harvard Medical School and Boston's Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, is co-principal investigator of the Okinawan Centenarian Study and author of the New York Times bestseller "The Okinawa Program: Learn the Secrets to Healthy Longevity."
He will be an investigator at the Pacific institute, continue his work on Okinawa and develop other studies on healthy aging, especially in genetic contributions to exceptional aging in Hawaii.
Dr. David Curb, chief executive officer and medical director of the institute and principal investigator for the Kuakini Honolulu Heart Program, said, "We are continuing to expand our research capabilities in an effort to stay one of the leading research institutes in America and bring more cutting-edge research capabilities to Hawaii."
He said this will help create a strong high-tech infrastructure and more jobs within the state.
"Dr. Willcox's experience and expertise will strengthen our genetic research capabilities and provide unique and valuable comparative data between Okinawans and other Japanese Americans in Hawaii and Japan."
Curb said this work will help shape medical advances to minimize risk of frailty for aging people and ultimately increase quality of life and reduce health care costs.
Willcox and the Pacific institute recently received a National Institute on Aging grant to study the "Genetics of Exceptional Longevity in Okinawan-Japanese Centenarians."
Japan has the world's longest-living people, and Okinawans are the longest-lived of the Japanese and appear to suffer from less disability as they age, studies have shown.
The new research will target chromosome 4, linked to exceptional survival in American centenarians of European descent, to see if it also influences Okinawans' healthy aging.
Willcox will continue to look at lifestyle factors, such as nutrition and exercise, as contributors to health aging, particularly in Okinawans and Okinawan Americans.
"This is an exciting new chapter in my life," Willcox said. "I am thrilled to be joining one of the world's premier research centers in cross-national research aging."