Faculty

Arlan Richardson, PhD

(405) 271-7622

arlan-richardson@ouhsc.edu

Arlan Richardson, PhD, earned his Ph.D. in chemistry/biochemistry from Oklahoma State University and for the past 40 years has devoted his career to aging research. In 2013, he became Professor of Geriatric Medicine and the Donald W. Reynolds Endowed Chair of Aging Research at OUHSC and Senior VA Career Scientist at the Oklahoma City VA Medical Center. Dr. Richardson has mentored and directed the research of more than 50 Ph.D. graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and junior faculty and is the author of more than 240 peer-reviewed scientific publications. In 1993, he received the Nathan Shock Award from the Gerontology Research Center at the National Institute on Aging for his pioneering research on the effect of dietary restriction on gene expression. In 1995, he received the Robert W. Kleemeier Award for outstanding research in the field of gerontology from the Gerontological Society of America, and in 2001 the Harman Research Award for research contributions in the field of aging and dietary restriction from the American Aging Association. He received the Irving Wright Award of Distinction in Aging Research from the American Federation for Aging Research (2008) and the Lord Cohen Medal for Services to Gerontology from the British Society for Research on Ageing. His leadership roles include serving as president of both the Gerontological Society of America and the American Aging Association. In addition, Dr. Richardson served on the Board of Scientific Counselors at the National Institute on Aging from 2002 to 2007 and the National Advisory Council on Aging from 2010 to 2013. In 1991, he was Chair of the Gordon Conference on the Biology of Aging, San Miniato, Italy, and in 2008 the Chair/Organizer of the Keystone Symposium on Metabolic Pathways of Longevity.

Over the past 35 years, Dr. Richardson’s research has focused on various aspects of aging, e.g., (i) the effects of aging and dietary restriction on gene expression in rats and mice, (ii) testing the oxidative stress theory of aging by measuring the effect of alterations in the antioxidant defense system on the lifespan and pathology of transgenic and knockout mice, and (iii) most recently, studying the effect of rapamycin on aging and age-related diseases. Currently, his research is focused on two areas: 1) the role of oxidative stress, necroptosis, and inflammation in aging, and 2) the effect of genotype and level of restriction on the anti-aging mechanism of dietary restriction.  With respect to this current application is the Dr. Richardson’s experience using genetic mouse models to study aging and measuring lifespan and healthspan in mice.