Caleb Ellicott Finch (born July 4, 1939) is an American academic who is a professor at the
USC Davis School of Gerontology. Finch's research focuses on
aging
Ageing ( BE) or aging ( AE) is the process of becoming older. The term refers mainly to humans, many other animals, and fungi, whereas for example, bacteria, perennial plants and some simple animals are potentially biologically immortal. In ...
in humans, with a specialization in
cell biology
Cell biology (also cellular biology or cytology) is a branch of biology that studies the structure, function, and behavior of cells. All living organisms are made of cells. A cell is the basic unit of life that is responsible for the living and ...
and
Alzheimer's disease
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegeneration, neurodegenerative disease that usually starts slowly and progressively worsens. It is the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in short-term me ...
.
Early life and education
Finch was born in
London in 1939, the son of American parents. At the time of his birth, his father was working for London branch of the
National City Bank of New York. After the start of
World War II, his family returned to
New York City. Finch earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biophysics from
Yale University and a PhD in biology from
Rockefeller University
The Rockefeller University is a private biomedical research and graduate-only university in New York City, New York. It focuses primarily on the biological and medical sciences and provides doctoral and postdoctoral education. It is classif ...
.
Career
He was the founding director of USC's
NIH-funded Alzheimer Disease Research Center in 1984. In 1989, the university made him one of its twelve "University Distinguished Professors". He is a full professor in
gerontology
Gerontology ( ) is the study of the social, cultural, psychological, cognitive, and biological aspects of aging. The word was coined by Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov in 1903, from the Greek , ''geron'', "old man" and , ''-logia'', "study of". The fie ...
and
biological sciences and an adjunct professor in departments of
anthropology,
psychology,
physiology, and
neurology. He was the chair of the National Research Council Committee on Biodemography of Aging. He is co-author of 520 scientific papers and six books, including ''The Biology of Human Longevity'' (Academic Press, 2007) and "The Role of Global Air Pollution in Aging and Disease" (Academic Press, 2017). He serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for the
Cure Alzheimer's Fund.
References
External links
Faculty page
1939 births
Living people
American gerontologists
University of Southern California faculty
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