The Del Mar Foundation is partnering with the Salk Institute to produce a three-part state-of- the-art webinar series surrounding the message of “Science Can’t Wait”. Dr. Emily Manoogian, Ph.D., will present the first webcast on Jan. 28 at 10 a.m. on long-term cognitive resilience. She will explore the roles that circadian rhythm, healthy sleep, and metabolic health contribute to a healthy brain, according to a news release.
Manoogian is a senior staff scientist/PI at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies. She studies the intricate interaction between our body’s biological rhythms and the timing of our daily habits, including when and how much we sleep, eat, and exercise. She also manages the development, deployment, and use of novel mHealth tools and wearable devices to monitor and intervene in lifestyle, both on a large scale open to the public and in focused clinical trials.
Her research focuses on how lifestyle interventions, such as time-restricted eating (independently or in combination with drug therapy), can improve a variety of age-related diseases, including pre-diabetes, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, mental health, and cognitive decline, the news release stated.
The origin of the “Science Can’t Wait” program evolved over the last year as once stable National Institute of Health (NIH) budgets were dramatically cut with many grant funds suspended or placed on hold. This created chaos and uncertainty with many basic science and healthcare labs halting or severely curtailing current investigations. If prolonged, the funding cuts could result in loss of not only key personnel, but a brain drain of principal investigators out of San Diego (and even the U.S.), resulting in delay or loss of important scientific and health achievements. Expectations for the 2026 federal budget are for possibly 40% reductions in these once stable NIH allocations, according to the news release.
The Del Mar Foundation has issued a challenge grant and will match online donations to the Salk Institute, up to $50,000, during the “Science Can’t Wait” webinar series. These donations will be used to support the Salk Institute’s laboratory costs. Equally important, the Salk Institute and the Del Mar Foundation want to raise public awareness regarding this issue. “The importance of the scientific community to our local economy and to our collective health cannot be overstated,” the news release stated.
To register for the Jan. 28 10 a.m. webinar with Manoogian, and for further information about the two future webinars, go to the Salk Institute www.salk.edu/cant-wait or the Del Mar Foundation www.delmarfoundation.org.