Nonprofit Spotlight
The Buck Institute
As a provider of investment advice to numerous nonprofits, Innovest has the privilege of introducing you to some of our fantastic clients. This month we are proud to feature The Buck Institute.
The Buck Institute for Research on Aging, once considered a pioneer in research on aging, is now a global leader in the field. The Institute opened its doors in 1999, becoming the world’s only research institution singularly focused on the biology of aging, yielding insights into age-related diseases before they start. The Buck hires scientists from a variety of disciplines to attack the problem of aging from all sides since the answers will not come from a single field. To enhance the research process, The Buck worked with world-renowned architect I.M. Pei to create a campus that literally would not allow researchers to work in silos.
The Buck Institute uses cutting-edge science to tackle aging, the #1 risk factor for chronic disease. It brings together the most capable and passionate scientists from a broad range of disciplines in an environment that encourages open collaboration for the purposes of identifying and changing the ways in which we age. Its science is all about increasing human health span and, ultimately, solving some of the biggest problems facing the world today.
The average lifespan of someone born in 1900 was 47 years. Since then, improvements and discoveries in science and medicine have added approximately two years per decade to that average. Remarkably, a child born today can expect to live more than 100 years.
Aging is a progressive process that, until recently, was thought to be accompanied by inevitable degeneration. Research at the Buck Institute is focused on gaining insight into the critical molecular and biological drivers of aging, leading to new therapies which will improve the health span of the global population. Each lab at the Buck has a unique focus in aging or age-related disease. Together, the Buck labs combine their collective wisdom to forge a new path toward a future with reduced disease and improved health as we grow older.
The Institute’s mission includes training the next generation of aging-science researchers and sharing our science with the community. Educational opportunities include programs for graduate students as well as community education programs for K–12 students, teachers, and adults. To learn more, please visit https://www.buckinstitute.org/.