Defining the Nature of Aging and Rejuvenation

Vadim Gladyshev, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, challenged the room to define what exactly is aging and rejuvenation. Reproductive potential and mortality curves vary dramatically from species to species, so what are we referring to when we talk about aging? Is aging increased mortality rate, decreased fitness, development, or damage accumulation? Our answers to these questions define how we communicate the science of aging to ourselves and others. Forming some kind of consensus on this topic could help when seeking funding or support from the greater scientific community.