Interview with Jan Vijg,Ph.D.

Abstract

Editor's note: The interview series in Rejuvenation Research is a unique and, I believe, highly valuable feature of the Journal, giving readers insights into the thinking and motivation of some of the most influential movers and shakers in the many disciplines—not only scientific ^{1 –7} but also political, ^8,9 sociological, ¹⁰ ethical ¹¹ and more—that impinge on the crusade to defeat aging. This issue's interview features one of the world's most respected researchers in the biology of aging, and one who has been much more willing than most to state unambiguously that the ultimate goal of that field is medical control of the human aging process. This is a key plank in the process of communication between the field of biomedical gerontology and the many constituencies that will be affected by progress against aging, a dialogue that, as I ^{12 –22} and others ^{23 –28} have noted recently, is essential if we are to develop effective interventions against aging with all possible speed.