The future directions of research in biogerontology are inseparable from what is perceived to be the goals of gerontological research. Of all of the biomedical disciplines, biogerontology is unique in not having a clearly delineated objective. Who among us would ask “What is the goal of cancer research, cardiovascular disease investigations, or any research directed toward the understanding or amelioration of some specific disease?“ The answers to such questions are self-evident but the goals of research in biogerontology are not agreed upon universally. Until goals are established, the future of research in aging will likely be directed toward resolving those diseases and pathological conditions that are generally believed to afflict the elderly more than they afflict our youth. If that is the goal then the mission of the National Institute on Aging becomes superfluous to the missions of all the other National Institutes.
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Leonard Hayflick (1980) studied this question.
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