‘Aging and Our Immunity’ Theme of UA Arthritis Center’s 16th Annual Living Healthy With Arthritis Conference, Jan. 27

Internationally recognized immunologist and gerontologist Janko Nikolich-Žugich, MD, PhD, will deliver the keynote address, “Aging and Our Immunity,” at the University of Arizona Arthritis Center’s 16th Annual Living Healthy With Arthritis Conference, Saturday, Jan. 27, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The conference will be held at Banner – University Medical Center Tucson, DuVal Auditorium, 1501 N. Campbell Ave. Registration and check-in will begin at 8 a.m.

Dr. Nikolich-Žugich will discuss the biology of aging and the impact of aging on the immune system. He will explain the processes that the body endures as it ages, and the impact of lifestyle and physiology. “The idea is not to extend our life spans to live forever, but rather to live the years that we have as fully and capably as we can,” he says.

Dr. Nikolich-Žugich is co-director of the University of Arizona Center on Aging and a member of the UA Arthritis Center’s scientific advisory committee. He also is chair of the UA Department of Immunobiology and Elizabeth Bowman Professor in Medical Research at the UA College of Medicine – Tucson and a member of the UA BIO5 Institute. He also is chairman of the board and CEO of the American Aging Association.

His research interests include vaccines and biomarkers of declining immunity in older adults, immune rejuvenation, immune monitoring in chronic conditions of aging, and the impact of inflammation and nutritional intervention in aging, immunity and metabolic disorders. Dr. Nikolich-Žugich is involved in studies of longevity and lifespan extension and has published more than 150 scientific papers and reviews describing his work.

Conference registration is $20 per person (members of the University of Arizona Arthritis Center Friends attend free) and includes morning refreshments and lunch. Free parking is available in the Banner - University Medical Center Tucson Visitor/Patient Parking Garage and in nearby UA Zone 1 lots. Early reservations are advised; spaces are limited and fill quickly. Registration closes Monday, Jan. 22. To register or for more information, please visit the UA Arthritis Center website at arthritis.arizona.edu/annual-conference, email livinghealthy@arthritis.arizona.edu, or call the UA Arthritis Center at 520-626-5040.

The Living Healthy With Arthritis Conference will cover information about health and services that help improve daily life and promote strengthening the mind and body to manage arthritis. Breakout sessions promoting patient empowerment through management of arthritis will feature physicians and alternative therapy practitioners, including:

• Mindy Fain, MD, co-director, University of Arizona Center on Aging; Anne and Alden Hart Professor of Medicine, UA College of Medicine – Tucson; chief, Division of Geriatrics, General Internal Medicine and Palliative Medicine, UA Department of Medicine; principal investigator, Arizona Geriatric Workforce Enhancement Program; co-principal investigator, Healthy Brain Research Network. (“Knowledge is Power…How to Avoid Common Pitfalls of Aging: Cognitive Impairment, Frailty and Falls” with Dr. Wild, and Lunch Roundtable with Drs. Kwoh and Katzenberg: “The Road to Resiliency as We Age”)

• Charles R. Katzenberg, MD, clinical professor of medicine, the University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center, and board-certified cardiologist who practices at the new Banner – University Medicine North at 3838 N. Campbell Ave. (Lunch Roundtable with Drs. Fain and Kwoh: “The Road to Resiliency as We Age”)

• Karma Kientzler, founding fitness director, Canyon Ranch Health Resort. (“The Healing Power of Breath” and “Movement as Medicine: Focus on the Feet”)

• C. Kent Kwoh, MD, director, University of Arizona Arthritis Center; The Charles A. L. and Suzanne M. Stephens Endowed Chair in Rheumatology; chief, Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, and professor of medicine and medical imaging, UA College of Medicine – Tucson. (“Osteoarthritis Under the Microscope” and Lunch Roundtable with Drs. Fain and Katzenberg: “The Road to Resiliency as We Age”)

• Linda Richman, author, I’d Rather Laugh: How to be Happy Even When Life Has Other Plans for You, and Saturday Night Live’s “Coffee Talk” persona. (Based on her book, Richman’s presentation includes an opportunity for book signing, with copies available for purchase.)

• Donato Romagnolo, MSc, PhD, professor, Department of Nutritional Sciences, UA College of Agriculture and Life Sciences; professor, cancer biology, UA Graduate Interdisciplinary Program; member, UA BIO5 Institute and UA Cancer Center. (“Nutrition Mission: The Importance of Nutrition in the Aging Process”)

• Mike Siemens, MS, corporate director of exercise physiology, Canyon Ranch Health Resort. (“Exercise Prescription for Healthy Aging”)

• Alice Steinfeld, MEd, MA, LPC, therapist, Psychiatry and Psychotherapy Associates, and counselor, Canyon Ranch Health Resort. (“Pain and the Power of Perspective”)

• John Szivek, PhD, director, Robert G. Volz Orthopaedic Research Laboratory, and The William and Sylvia Rubin Chair of Orthopaedic Research, UA Arthritis Center; professor, orthopaedic surgery, UA College of Medicine – Tucson; professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, and adjunct associate professor, Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering and Department of Materials Science and Engineering, UA College of Engineering; member, UA BIO5 Institute; professor, physiological sciences, UA Graduate Interdisciplinary Program. (“The Latest Advancements in Cartilage Regeneration”)

• Jason Wild, MD, assistant professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, UA College of Medicine – Tucson. (“Knowledge is Power…How to Avoid Common Pitfalls of Aging: Cognitive Impairment, Frailty and Falls” with Dr. Fain)

About the University of Arizona Arthritis Center

The UA Arthritis Center, a Center of Excellence at the UA College of Medicine – Tucson, is a research leader focused on identifying the causes of arthritis and developing improved technologies for diagnosing, measuring and treating the disease. For more information: arthritis.arizona.edu

About the University of Arizona Health Sciences

The University of Arizona Health Sciences is the statewide leader in biomedical research and health professions training. The UA Health Sciences includes the UA Colleges of Medicine (Phoenix and Tucson), Nursing, Pharmacy and Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, with main campus locations in Tucson and the growing Phoenix Biomedical Campus in downtown Phoenix. From these vantage points, the UA Health Sciences reaches across the state of Arizona and the greater Southwest to provide cutting-edge health education, research, patient care and community outreach services. A major economic engine, the UA Health Sciences employs almost 5,000 people, has nearly 1,000 faculty members and garners more than $126 million in research grants and contracts annually. For more information: uahs.arizona.edu (Follow us: Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | LinkedIn)