Biographical Sketch

Dr. Natalia S. Gavrilova, Ph.D. Research Associate  Center on Aging  NORC and the University of Chicago  1155 E 60th Street  Chicago, IL 60637

Phone: (773) 256-6359  Fax: (773) 256-6313  e-mail address:

EDUCATION:

1982  -  Ph.D. in Anthropology, Department of Biology, Moscow State University, Russia
2003  -  Master of Science, Department of Computer Science, Division of the Physical Sciences, The University of Chicago
              (see Diploma and Transcript)
1977  -  Master of Science, Department of Chemistry, Moscow State University, Russia

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE:

1997-Present         Research Associate, Center on Aging, NORC and The University of Chicago

1993-1997            Senior Research Scientist, Institute for Systems Analysis,
                              Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow.

1987-1993            Principal Research Scientist, Institute for Medical Information,
                              Russian Ministry of Health, Moscow, Russia.

1983-1987            Senior Research Scientist, Institute for Medical Information, Moscow

1982-1983            Research Scientist, Department of Biology, Moscow State University

1981-1982            Research Scientist, Institute of General Genetics, Academy of Sciences, Moscow.
 

PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES:

Editorial Board Member: Biogerontology, Kluwer Press.

Ad Hoc Reviewer: Journal of Gerontology, Journal of Theoretical Biology,  International Journal of Epidemiology, Mechanisms of Ageing and Development, Experimental Gerontology, Demography, Social Biology, Biogerontology, Population,  Population and Development Review,  Mathematical Population Studies, European Journal of Population,  Genus (an international journal of demography, Rome, Italy), Journal of Anti-Aging Medicine, electronic journal "TheScientificWorld".

Member: Gerontological Society of America (GSA), International Union for the Scientific Study of Population (IUSSP). Population Association of America (PAA), Social Science History Association (SSHA), European Association for Population Studies (EAPS).

Consultant for the National Institute on Aging: National Institutes of Health Professional Service Contract #263 SDN74858 "Inventory of data resources on familial aggregation of human longevity that can be used in secondary analysis in biodemography of aging", 35pp. Submitted to NIA on 05/29/98.

Invited seminars (recent): Inaugural International Conference on Longevity, Sydney, Australia (2004); International Seminar "Projecting Future Mortality" Sponsored by Continuous Mortality Investigation Bureau and the Government Actuary's Department, Edinburgh, UK (2003); Chicago Actuarial Association Workshop (Chicago, March 25, 2003);  National Institutes of Health Conference"The Dynamic and Energetic Bases of Health and Aging," presentation "The Quest for the General Theory of Aging and Longevity," Bethesda, Maryland, 11-13 November, 2002.

Research Support

Society of Actuaries, January 2004 - June 2005
Search for Predictors of Exceptional Human Longevity
Role: Principal Investigator

P30 AG-12857-06  Waite (PI)    03/31/02-12/06/03
NIH/NIA
Mortality Crisis in Russia: New Health Threats
Role: PI in the Center on Aging Pilot Grant Program

NAG9  Carnes (PI)             11/1/99-10/30/02
NASA
Radiation Risk Analysis: Model Issues and Interspecies Extrapolation.
The main goal of this project is modeling the effects of low and medium doses of radiation on mortality and survival of mice, dogs and humans.
Role: Co-investigator

P20 AG12857  Waite (PI)             01/01/02-12/31/02
NIH/NIA
An Analysis of Mortality Data for Health/Race Disparities, Burden of Illness and Dementia
The main goal of this project is reorganizing NCHS mortality data into database to be used for biodemographic analyses of aging and mortality partitioning.
Role: Co-investigator in the Center on Aging Supplement Grant Program

1R03 AG16138-01A1   Gavrilova (PI)     09/30/98-08/31/99
NIH/NIA
Familial Transmission of Human Longevity.
The goal of this project is to examine the modes of lifespan inheritance in humans using historical genealogical data.
Role: Principal Investigator

P20 AG12857  Waite (PI)            04/01/98-08/31/98
NIH/NIA
Biodemographic aspects of longevity inheritance in humans.
The goal of this pilot study is to initiate a study of the effects of paternal and maternal longevity on survival in offspring.
Role: PI in a Center on Aging pilot research project

European Community (INTAS) grant #93-1617     1995-1996; renewed for 1996-1998
Gavrilova (Representative of the Research Team at the Institute for Systems Analysis)
The Mechanisms of Human Longevity, an Association of Parental Characteristics and Longevity of Their Children

International Science Foundation (ISF) Research Grant #N7X300   1995
Gavrilova (PI)
Biomedical Basis of the Sex Differential in Human Lifespan

International Science Foundation (ISF) Research Grant #N7X000   1994-1995
Gavrilova (PI)
Biomedical Basis of the Sex Differential in Human Lifespan
 

AWARDS AND HONORS:

Cited by Encyclopedia Britannica as the author of recommended book "The Biology of Life Span." 

Featured in Science(6 June 1997, p.1503), The Scientist (May 13, 2002, p.20), Sunday Times London (June 15, 1997), and NORC News (October 26, 2001).

Invited author for Macmillan Encyclopedia of Aging (3 articles), Journal of Theoretical Biology special issue (2001, vol. 213), Population special issue (2001, vol.13), and Springer-Verlag monograph "Sex and Longevity" (2000).

Gordon Research Conference on the Biology of Aging. Travel award from the Organizing Committee (Il Ciocco, Italy, 10-15 May, 1998).

REVES10 International Meeting on Health Expectancy (Tokyo, October 9-12, 1997). Travel award from the Organizing Committee.

Gordon Research Conference on the Biology of Aging. Travel award from the Organizing Committee (Ventura, CA, 5-10 January, 1997)

U.S. Civilian Research and Development Foundation (CRDF), Proposal Development Program Award (grant #PDP48), 1996.

International Science Foundation (ISF), 1994. Emergency Grant for Russian Scientists of the Top Category.

International Science Foundation (ISF), 1993. Emergency Grant Award.

The Certificate from the International Association of Gerontology (1993) signed by the President and the Secretary General of the International Association of Gerontology in connection with her entry to the 1993 Sandoz Prize for the Gerontological Research: "This work testifies to her efforts to improve understanding of the aging process and to advance scientific knowledge for the benefit of the elderly throughout the world".

A. N. Belozersky Institute, 1991. Award for the best scientific research at the Institute in 1990-1991.

Moscow Society of Naturalists, 1989. Award for the best scientific research in natural science in 1986-1988.
 

RELEVANT PUBLICATIONS:

Book:

Gavrilov L.A., Gavrilova N.S. The Biology of Life Span: A Quantitative Approach, NY: Harwood Academic Publisher, 1991, 385p.

This book is selected and cited by Encyclopedia Britannica as recommended reference. The book was also reviewed by Nature (1991, 352: 767), British Medical Journal (1992, 305: 431), BioEssays (1993, 15: 359), Quarterly Review of Biology (1993, 68: 92), Population Studies (1992, 46: 366), Population and Development Review (1992, 18: 555 and 1998, 24: 381), Am.J.Epidemiology (1994, 139: 231), Experimental Gerontology (1992, 27: 251), Gerontologist (1991, 31: 707), Human Biology (1992, 64: 630), J.Epidemiology & Community Health (1992, 46: 630), J.Institute of Actuaries (1992, 119: 379), Age and Ageing (1992, 21: 386), Ageing and Society (1991, 11: 509), Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics (1992, 15: 192), Educational Gerontology (1993, 19: 92), Free Radical Biology & Medicine (1992, 12: 331).

Book chapters:

Gavrilova, N.S., Gavrilov, L.A. Human longevity and reproduction: An evolutionary perspective. In: Voland, E.; Chasiotis, A. & Schiefenhoevel, W. (eds.). Grandmotherhood - The Evolutionary Significance of the Second Half of Female Life. Piscataway, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 2005 (in press).

Gavrilova, N.S., Gavrilov, L.A., Semyonova, V.G., Evdokushkina,  G.N., Ivanova, A.E. Patterns of violent crime in Russia.
In: Pridemore, W.A. (ed.). Ruling Russia: Law, Crime, and Justice in a Changing Society. Boulder, CO: Rowman & Littlefield Publ., Inc.  (forthcoming in July 2005).

Gavrilov, L.A., Gavrilova, N.S.  Early-life factors modulating lifespan. In: Rattan, S.I.S. (Ed.). Modulating Aging and Longevity. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, 2003, 27-50.

Gavrilova, N.S., Gavrilov, L.A. Genetics: Ethnicity. In: David J. Ekerdt (ed.) Macmillan Encyclopedia of Aging, New York, Macmillan Reference USA, 2002, vol.2, 538-539..

Gavrilova, N.S., Gavrilov, L.A.  Evolution of Aging.  In: David J. Ekerdt (ed.) Macmillan Encyclopedia of Aging, New York, Macmillan Reference USA, 2002, vol.2, 458-467.

Gavrilov, L.A., Gavrilova, N.S. Genetics. In: David J. Ekerdt (ed.) Macmillan Encyclopedia of Aging, New York, Macmillan Reference USA, 2002, vol.2, 536-538.

Gavrilov, L.A., Gavrilova, N.S. Human longevity and parental age at conception. In: J.-M.Robine et al. (eds.) Sex and Longevity: Sexuality, Gender, Reproduction, Parenthood, Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag, 2000, 7-31.
 

Other Publications (partial list):

Gavrilov LA, Gavrilova NS. Why We Fall Apart. Engineering's Reliability Theory Explains Human Aging. IEEE Spectrum, 2004, 41(9): 30-35.

Gavrilova NS, Gavrilov LA, Semyonova VG, Evdokushkina GN. Does exceptional human longevity come with high cost of infertility? Testing the evolutionary theories of aging.  Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2004, 1019: 513-517.

Gavrilov LA, Gavrilova NS. Early-life programming of aging and longevity: The idea of high initial damage load (the HIDL hypothesis).  Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2004, 1019: 496-501.

Gavrilov LA, Gavrilova NS. The reliability-engineering approach to the problem of biological aging.  Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2004, 1019: 509-512.

Gavrilov LA, Gavrilova NS. Early-Life Exposure, Season of Birth and Gender Differences in Human Life Span. Science, 2004, 305(5691): 1739 (letter published in Science online at: http://www.sciencemag.org/cgi/eletters/305/5691/1736#1075).

Gavrilova N.S., Gavrilov L.A., Evdokushkina, G.N., Semyonova, V.G.  Early-life predictors of human longevity: Analysis of the 19th Century birth cohorts. Annales de Demographie Historique, 2003, 2: 177-198.

Gavrilov L.A., Gavrilova N.S.  The quest for a general theory of aging and longevity. Science's SAGE KE (Science of Aging Knowledge Environment) for 16 July 2003; Vol 2003, No.28, 1-10. http://sageke.sciencemag.org

Gavrilov, L.A., Gavrilova, N.S.  Evolutionary theories of aging and longevity.  TheScientificWorldJOURNAL, 2002, 2: 339-356.  Available: http://www.thescientificworld.com/

Gavrilov L.A., Gavrilova N.S. The quest for the theory of human longevity. The Actuary, 2002, 36(5): 10-13.

Carnes, B.A., Gavrilova, N. and Grahn D.  Pathology effects at radiation doses below those causing increased mortality. Radiation Research, 2002, 158: 187-194.

Gavrilov L.A., Gavrilova N.S., Olshansky S.J., Carnes B.A. Genealogical data and biodemography of human longevity. Social Biology, 2002, 49(3-4): 160-173.

Gavrilov L.A., Gavrilova N.S. The reliability theory of aging and longevity. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 2001, 213(4): 527-545.

Gavrilova, N.S., Gavrilov, L.A. When does human longevity start?: Demarcation of the boundaries for human longevity. Journal of Anti-Aging Medicine, 2001, 4(2): 115-124.

Gavrilov L.A., Gavrilova N.S. Epidemiology of human longevity: The search for appropriate methodology. Journal of Anti-Aging Medicine, 2001, 4(1): 13-30.

Gavrilov, L.A., Gavrilova, N.S. Biodemographic study of familial determinants of human longevity. Population: An English Selection, 2001, 13(1): 197-222.

Carnes, B.A., Gavrilova, N.S. Risk analysis: Divergent models and convergent interpretations. Radiation Research, 2001, 156: 628-630.

Gavrilov, L.A., Gavrilova, N.S. Validation of exceptional longevity. Book Review. Population and Development Review, 2000, 26(2): 40-41.

Gavrilov, L.A., Gavrilova, N.S. Season of birth and human longevity. Journal of Anti-Aging Medicine, 1999, 2(4): 365-366.

Gavrilov, L.A., Gavrilova, N.S. Is there a reproductive cost for human longevity? Journal of Anti-Aging Medicine, 1999, 2(2): 121-123.

Carnes, B.A., Olshansky, S.J., Gavrilov, L.A., Gavrilova, N.S., Grahn, D. Human longevity: Nature vs. Nurture - fact or fiction. Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, 1999, 42(3): 422-441.

Gavrilov, L.A., Gavrilova, N.S. How human longevity and species survival could be compatible with high mutation rates. Journal of Anti-Aging Medicine, 1999, 2(2): 153-154.

Gavrilova, N.S., Gavrilov, L.A., Evdokushkina G.N., Semyonova, V.G., Gavrilova, A.L., Evdokushkina, N.N., Kushnareva, Yu.E., Kroutko, V.N., Andreyev, A.Yu. Evolution, mutations and human longevity. Human Biology, 1998, 70(4): 799-804.

Gavrilov, L.A., Gavrilova, N.S. The future of long life. Letter. Science, 1998, 281(5383): 1611-1612.

Gavrilova N.S., Evdokushkina G.N., Ermakov, S.P., Gavrilov L.A.  An analysis of the health and mortality data for the provinces of Russia.  In: International Population Conference. Beijing, 1997. Liege: IUSSP, 1997, vol.3, 1245-1257.

Gavrilov, L.A., Gavrilova, N.S. Parental age at conception and offspring longevity. Reviews in Clinical Gerontology, 1997, 7: 5-12.

Gavrilov L.A., Gavrilova, N.S., Kroutko, V.N., Evdokushkina, G.N., Semyonova, V.G., Gavrilova, A.L., Lapshin, E.V., Evdokushkina N.N., Kushnareva, Yu.E. Mutation load and human longevity. Mutation Research, 1997, 377(1): 61-62.

Gavrilov L.A., Gavrilova N.S., Semyonova V.G., Evdokushkina G.N., Kroutko V.N., Gavrilova A.L., Evdokushkina N.N., Lapshin E.V. Maternal age and offspring longevity, Proc. Russian Acad. Sci. [Doklady Akademii Nauk], 1997, 354(4): 569-572. English translation published in Doklady Biological Sciences, 1997, 354(4): 287-289.

Gavrilov, L.A., Gavrilova, N.S. Human reproduction in later life: a research project. Health Care in Later Life, 1997, 2(4): 275-276.

Gavrilov, L.A., Gavrilova, N.S. When Fatherhood Should Stop? Letter. Science, 1997, 277(5322): 17-18.

Gavrilov, L.A., Gavrilova, N.S. From Leonid A.Gavrilov and Natalia S.Gavrilova. BioEssays, 1994, 16(8): 591-593.

Gavrilov, L.A., Gavrilova, N.S. Sex and longevity. Letter. Nature, 1994, 367(6463): 520.

Gavrilov, L.A., Gavrilova, N.S. Fruit fly aging and mortality. Letter, Science, 1993, 260(5114): 1565-1565.

Gavrilov, L.A., Gavrilova, N.S. When your time's up. Letter. British Medical Journal, 1993, 306(6880): 796-796.

Gavrilov, L.A., Gavrilova, N.S. How many cell divisions in 'old' cells? Int. J. Geriatric Psychiatry, 1993, 8(6): 528-528.

Gavrilov, L.A., Gavrilova, N.S. Common sense and the limits to life. Int. J. Geriatric Psychiatry, 1993, 8(8): 695-695.

Gavrilov L.A., Gavrilova N.S., Semyonova V.G. Epidemiologic approach to the biology of human life span. Geographia Medica, 1985, 15: 40-64.

Gavrilov, L.A., Gavrilova, N.S. Historically stable indices of mortality and their use for medical geography. Geographia medica, 1984, 14: 305-306.

Gavrilov, L.A., Gavrilova, N.S., Nosov, V.N. Human life span stopped increasing: why?  Gerontology, 1983, 29(3): 176-180.

Gavrilov, L.A., Gavrilova, N.S. Kinetic patterns of human mortality in historical perspective. Proc. Acad. Sci. USSR [Doklady Akademii Nauk SSSR], 1979, 245(4): 1017-1020.

Gavrilov, L.A., Gavrilova, N.S. Determination of the species-specific duration of life. Proc. Acad. Sci. USSR [Doklady Akademii Nauk SSSR], 1979, 246(2): 465-469.

Gavrilov, L.A., Gavrilova, N.S., Yaguzhinsky, L.S. The main regularities of animal aging and death viewed in terms of reliability theory. J. General Biology [Zhurnal Obschey Biologii], 1978, 39(5): 734-742.