PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT (OVERALL) The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center (OAIC) has been funded since 2000. It is the home of a diverse multidisciplinary team of investigators with complementary research interests in aging. We have discovered mechanisms of sarcopenia in cells, animal models and humans; identified trajectories of functional loss and disability in diverse populations; developed and tested interventions to improve functional recovery and independence. We have trained 31 Scholars (45% women, 26% minority), and published more than 640 papers. In the next cycle, we will build on our established infrastructure and accomplishments to support innovative multidisciplinary research and train the next generation of leaders in gerontology and geriatrics. The UTMB OAIC’s guiding theme is “Translate Pathways of Function Loss and Gain into Interventions to Optimize Functional Recovery in Diverse Geriatric Populations”. Our program’s aims are: 1. Discover mechanisms and define trajectories of age-related functional loss and gain. 2. Develop and test innovative interventions to optimize functional recovery. 3. Translate interventions to the clinical setting in diverse populations. 4. Train the future leaders in gerontology and geriatric research. We will use an integrative approach to translate basic discoveries into interventions for functional recovery and improve the trajectories of functional loss and disability in older adults. By leveraging partnerships with other institutional programs, we will expand our research in the select areas of novel therapeutics, Hispanic aging, and recovery from neurologic diseases. We will pursue our aims by integrating the activities of our highly productive Resource Cores: Metabolism and Biology, Clinical Research, and Biostatistics and Data Management. The Leadership and Administrative Core will provide the scientific leadership and coordinate the resource cores’ activities with those of the Pilot/Exploratory Core and the Research Education Core to spark research innovation and develop the leaders of the future.