Suresh Rattan (full name: ''Suresh Inder Singh Rattan''; born in 1955 in

Amritsar Amritsar (), historically also known as Rāmdāspur and colloquially as ''Ambarsar'', is the second largest city in the Indian state of Punjab, after Ludhiana. It is a major cultural, transportation and economic centre, located in the Majha r ...

, India) is a

biogerontologist Biogerontology is the sub-field of gerontology concerned with the biological aging process, its evolutionary origins, and potential means to intervene in the process. The term "biogerontology" was coined by S. Rattan, and came in regular use wit ...

– a researcher in the field of biology of ageing,

biogerontology Biogerontology is the sub-field of gerontology concerned with the biological aging process, its evolutionary origins, and potential means to intervene in the process. The term "biogerontology" was coined by S. Rattan, and came in regular use wit ...

. In addition to his professional research work on the biology of

ageing 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 ...

, he is also very much interested and involved in the public communication of science and he likes to undertake explorations in the

Indian classical music Indian classical music is the classical music of the Indian subcontinent. It has two major traditions: the North Indian classical music known as '' Hindustani'' and the South Indian expression known as '' Carnatic''. These traditions were not ...

and semi-classical music by playing

Tabla A tabla, bn, তবলা, prs, طبلا, gu, તબલા, hi, तबला, kn, ತಬಲಾ, ml, തബല, mr, तबला, ne, तबला, or, ତବଲା, ps, طبله, pa, ਤਬਲਾ, ta, தபலா, te, తబల� ...

– the North Indian drums, as evident from music CDs "State of the Art: Small Town People" by Harry Jokumsen and other artists (2008), and "The Fall and the Rise of a Woman" by Pearl (2014) in which he plays Tabla under his artistic name Shashi Maharaj.

Academic background

Suresh Rattan has been heading, since its inception in 1984, the Laboratory of Cellular Ageing at the Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics at the

Aarhus University Aarhus University ( da, Aarhus Universitet, abbreviated AU) is a public research university with its main campus located in Aarhus, Denmark. It is the second largest and second oldest university in Denmark. The university is part of the Coimbra Gr ...

in Denmark, where he has become Emeritus since 2020. He was introduced to the field of ageing by Professor Suraj P. Sharma at the

Guru Nanak Dev University The university is Entitled by University Grants Commission to offer higher studies degree courses online. Guru Nanak Dev University's campus is spread over near village of Kot Khalsa, nearly west of the Amritsar, next to Khalsa College, A ...

(GNDU),

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, during his BSc and MSc studies (1973–1977), followed by MPhil studies on the regenerative capacity of Hydra, under the guidance of Professor Sivatosh Mookerjee, at the School of Life Sciences,

Jawaharlal Nehru University Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) is a public major research university located in New Delhi, India. It was established in 1969 and named after Jawaharlal Nehru, India's first Prime Minister. The university is known for leading faculties and r ...

(JNU), New Delhi, India (1977–1979). Suresh Rattan earned his PhD in 1982 from the

National Institute for Medical Research The National Institute for Medical Research (commonly abbreviated to NIMR), was a medical research institute based in Mill Hill, on the outskirts of north London, England. It was funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC); In 2016, the NIMR b ...

, Mill Hill, London, UK, based on his research project testing the error theory of cellular ageing, under the supervision of Dr.

Robin Holliday Robin Holliday (6 November 1932 – 9 April 2014) was a British molecular biologist. Holliday described a mechanism of DNA-strand exchange that attempted to explain gene-conversion events that occur during meiosis in fungi. That model first pro ...

FRS, and Dr. Ian Buchanan. He also earned the degree of Doctor of Science (DSc) in 1995, from the Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Aarhus, Denmark, based on his post-PhD research work on the molecular biology of human cellular ageing. He is also the recipient of a
Honorary Doctorate
from the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences for his "...fruitful research and training in the field of biology of ageing, as well as his outstanding contribution to dissemination of scientific knowledge in basic gerontology...". He has been awarded a Visiting Professorship at the Faculty of Science
Palacky University in Olomouc, Czech Republic
(2012–2016). The

British Society for Research on Ageing The British Society for Research on Ageing (BSRA) is a scientific society (registered charity no. 1174127) which promotes research to understand the causes and effects of the ageing process. The BSRA encourages publication and public understan ...

(BSRA) has awarded their prestigious

Lord Cohen Medal The Lord Cohen Medal is a British medical award honouring individuals who "have made a considerable contribution to ageing research, either through original discoveries or in the promotion of the subject of gerontology in its broadest aspect". It is ...

to Suresh Rattan for his continuing contributions to gerontology. He was unanimously elected as the President/Chair of the Biological Section of the European Region of the

International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics The International Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics (IAGG), formerly the International Association of Gerontological Societies is a non-governmental organization (NGO) that promotes gerontological research and training, and represents gero ...

( IAGG-ER) for the periods 2011–2015, 2015 to 2019, and again for the period 2019–2023. He was also given the Outstanding Career Achievement Award - 2017, by the International Dose Response Society, USA Suresh Rattan has published over 300 research and review articles and about 20 books on the biology of ageing, including those for school children and general public. He is the founding Editor-in-Chief of ''Biogerontology'', a leading peer reviewed journal in the field of ageing. His name has been included in Marquis Who's Who in the World (from 1993); Marquis Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare (from 1998); and International Directory of Distinguished Leadership (from 1998). He was a member of the

World Economic Forum The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental and lobbying organisation based in Cologny, canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German engineer and economist Klaus Schwab. The foundation, ...

's Global Agenda Council on Gerontology (2008–2009).

Important contributions

Suresh Rattan's major intellectual contribution 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 ...

is the formulation of the concepts of essential lifespan and virtual gerontogenes regarding the nature of genes involved in ageing that real gerontogenes do not exist. Additionally, in the area of ageing modulation, Suresh Rattan is credited with the sole inventorship for discovering the anti-ageing effects of

kinetin Kinetin (/'kaɪnɪtɪn/) is a type of cytokinin, a class of plant hormone that promotes cell division. Kinetin was originally isolated by Carlos Miller and Skoog ''et al.'' as a compound from autoclaved herring sperm DNA that had cell division- ...

and

zeatin Zeatin is a cytokinin derived from adenine, which occurs in the form of a ''cis''- and a ''trans''- isomer and conjugates. Zeatin was discovered in immature corn kernels from the genus '' Zea''. It promotes growth of lateral buds and when sprayed ...

in human skin cells; and these compounds are being used in several skin-care cosmetics throughout the world, for example

Valeant Bausch Health Companies Inc. (formerly Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc.) is a Canadian multinational specialty pharmaceutical company based in Laval, Quebec, Canada. It develops, manufactures and markets pharmaceutical products and ...

product Kinerase. His areas of expertise include ageing, anti-ageing and healthy ageing of human cells, specially

fibroblasts A fibroblast is a type of biological cell that synthesizes the extracellular matrix and collagen, produces the structural framework ( stroma) for animal tissues, and plays a critical role in wound healing. Fibroblasts are the most common cells o ...

keratinocytes Keratinocytes are the primary type of cell found in the epidermis, the outermost layer of the skin. In humans, they constitute 90% of epidermal skin cells. Basal cells in the basal layer (''stratum basale'') of the skin are sometimes referred ...

osteoblasts Osteoblasts (from the Greek language, Greek combining forms for "bone", ὀστέο-, ''osteo-'' and βλαστάνω, ''blastanō'' "germinate") are cell (biology), cells with a single Cell nucleus, nucleus that synthesize bone. However, in the p ...

, and bone marrow

stem cells In multicellular organisms, stem cells are undifferentiated or partially differentiated cells that can differentiate into various types of cells and proliferate indefinitely to produce more of the same stem cell. They are the earliest type o ...

. His current research focuses on the beneficial effects of mild stress,

Hormesis Hormesis is a characteristic of many biological processes, namely a biphasic or triphasic response to exposure to increasing amounts of a substance or condition. Within the hormetic zone, the biological response to low exposures to toxins and othe ...

, and discovering hormetins (a new category of natural and synthetic compounds which bring about their beneficial effects through hormesis) for slowing down ageing and improving the quality of life in old age. The first skincare product to come out of the theory of hormesis is th
Vaxin for Youth from Givenchy
He has also put forward the terms for the science and study of hormesis, and "hormetin" for any condition that can bring about hormesis
hormetics
.

Books

Suresh Rattan has written/edited/co-edited the following books on ageing in English, Punjabi and Danish:

In English

* Successful Ageing: Ambition and Ambivalence, Authors: Clemens Tesch-Romer, Hans-Werner Wahl, Suresh I.S. Rattan, and Liat Ayalon; Oxford University Press, UK; 2021 * Nutrition, Food and Diet in Ageing and Longevity, Editors: Suresh I.S. Rattan and Gurcharan Kaur; volume 14 in the book series "Healthy Ageing and Longevity", Springer Nature, Switzerland, 2021 * Explaining Health Across the Sciences, Editors: Jonathan Sholl and Suresh I.S. Rattan; volume 12 in the book series "Healthy Ageing and Longevity", Springer Nature, Switzerland, 2020 * Encyclopedia of Biomedical Gerontology, Editor-in-Chief: Suresh I.S. Rattan; 3 volumes, Elsevier/Academic Press; 2020 * The Science of Hormesis in Health and Longevity, Academic Press UK; 2019 * AGE, in the series Reflections, by Aarhus University Press, 2018 * Hormones in Ageing and Longevity, 2017 * Cellular Ageing and Replicative Senescence, 2016

* Hormesis in Health and Disease, 2014 () * Brain Aging and Therapeutic Interventions, 2012 () * Calorie Restriction, Aging, and Longevity, 2010 () * Mild Stress and Healthy Aging: Applying hormesis in ageing research and interventions, 2008 () * Healthy Aging and Longevity, 2007 () * Biogerontology: Mechanisms and Interventions, 2007 () * Prevention and Treatment of Age-related Diseases () * Understanding and Modulating Aging, 2006 () * Aging Interventions and Therapies, 2005 () * Biological Aging and Its Modulation, 2003 () * Molecular Gerontology: Research Status and Strategies, 1996 () * Where's Baba Gone?, 1999, 2001, 2012 ()-'' a popular science-in-fiction book for children.'', also published in Punjabi (Gurmukhi and Shahmukhi scripts), Hindi (Devnagri script), Polish and Romanian languages.

In Punjabi, Hindi and other languages

* ਬਾਬਾ ਕਿੱਥੇ ਗਏ, 1997, 2001 ()- (Where's Baba Gone?; also in Polish as Dokad Odchodzisz?, 2009; (); in Hindi as बाबा कहाँ गए? (2011; ); and in Romanian as Unde Sa-Dus Baba? (2012; ) * ਧਰਮ, ਮਨੁਖਤਾ ਤੇ ਵਿਗਿਆਨ, 2003 ''(Religion, Humanity, and Science) – a collection of essays.''

In Danish

* E=GMC2 – formlen for evig ungdom ()(''E=GMC2 – The Formula for Eternal Youth)'' * ALDER - in the series Tænkepause, published by Aarhus University Press, 2017 (); also published in English as AGE, by Aaarhus University Press, and in Polish and Turkish languages.

References

External links

Personal website of Dr. Suresh Rattan

Biogerontology Journal
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rattan, Suresh 1955 births Living people Biogerontologists Indian gerontologists Scientists from Amritsar Jawaharlal Nehru University alumni Aarhus University 20th-century Indian scientists