ORCLS Researchers: Bradley J. Willcox

Bradley J. Willcox, MD

Medical Director, Department of Research, Planning and Development; Staff Physician, Orthopedic Hospitalist Program and Physician Co-Leader, Long Term Care Hospitalist Program, The Queen's Medical Center
Investigator, PLCO Study, Pacific Health Research and Education Institute (PHREI)
Investigator, Geriatrics and Gerontology, Kuakini Medical Center
Medical Team Care Attending Physician & Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Geriatric Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii

Bradley Willcox MD, MS is Co-Principal Investigator of the Okinawa Centenarian Study and "Kuakini Hawaii Lifespan Study", funded by NIH-NIA. He received his Bachelor and Master of Science from the University of Calgary and his MD from the University of Toronto and subsequently trained in internal medicine at the Mayo Clinic and geriatrics at Harvard Medical School. He has published and lectured extensively in aging, nutrition and health, especially with reference to Okinawan longevity and has won numerous awards for his work. Dr. Willcox is currently funded by several research grants from the US National Institutes of Health including the Hawaii Lifespan Study (NIA) and the Prostate, Lung, Colon, Ovarian Cancer Trial (NCI) to study genitic and environmental factors that lead to healthy aging lower cancer risk.

A. Positions and Honors

1997-2000 Resident Physician, Division of Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Medicine, Rochester, MN
2000-2002 Fellow in Geriatric Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Division on Aging, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA
2002-pres Physician Investigator, Pacific Health Research and Education Institute, Honolulu, HI
2003-2007 Asst. Professor, Geriatrics Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Hawaii, HI
2008-pres Associate Professor, Geriatrics Department, Faculty of Medicine, University of Hawaii, HI
2005-pres Staff Physician, Queen's Medical Center, Honolulu, HI
Selected Honors and Awards
1988 Torch Bearer, XVth Olympic Winter Games
2000 Mayo Clinic Calgary Fellowship
2000 American Federation for Medical Research Henry Christian Award
2002 Multiple Sclerosis Society -- Best Wellness Book Nomination
2003 Director's Citation: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
2004 Member, Longevity Consortium, NIH/NIA Expert Committee on Exceptional Longevity
2005 Honored Member, Strathmore's Who's Who in Aging
2006 Outstanding Physician of the Year Nominee, Queen's Medical Center
2006 Dorothy Dillon Eweson Special Lecture on Advances in Aging Research, American Foundation for Aging Research
2007 Invited Professor, Japan Foundation for Aging Research
2008 Bourestrom Keynote Lecture, Minnesota Gerontological Society
2009 Fellow, Gerontological Society of America
2010 Outstanding Physician of the Year Nominee, Queen's Medical Center

B. Selected Peer-reviewed Publications

Scientific Manuscripts (from > 50)
Cooper R, Kuh D, Hardy R; Mortality Review Group; FALCon and HALCyon Study Teams. Objectively measured physical capability levels and mortality: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ. 2010;341:c4467.
Dodge HH, Katsumata Y, Todoriki H, Yasura S, Willcox DC, Bowman GL, Willcox B, Leonard S, Clemons A, Oken BS, Kaye JA, Traber MG. Comparisons of plasma/serum micronutrients between Okinawan and Oregonian elders: a pilot study. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2010;65:1060-1067.
Willcox DC, Willcox BJ, Todoriki H, Suzuki M. The Okinawan diet: health implications of a low-calorie, nutrient-dense, antioxidant-rich dietary pattern low in glycemic load. J Am Coll Nutr. 2009;28:500s-516s.
He Q, Willcox BJ. Linkage disequilibrium of single-nucleotide polymorphism data: how sampling methods affect estimates of linkage disequilibrium. BMC Proc. 2009;3;7:S105.
Sue LY, Schairer C, Ma X, Williams C, Chang SC, Miller AB, McCarty CA, Willcox BJ, Ziegler RG. Energy intake and risk of postmenopausal breast cancer: an expanded analysis in the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal, and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial (PLCO) cohort. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2009;18:2842-2850.
Motoyama KR, Curb JD, Kadowaki, T, El-Saed A, Abbott RD, Okamura T, Evans RW, Nakamura Y, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Rodriguez BL, Kadota A, Edmundowicz D, Willcox BJ, Choo J, Katsumi N, Otake T, Kadowaki S, Kuller LH, Ueshima H, Sekikawa A. Association of serum n-6 and s-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids with lipids in 3 populations of middle-aged men. Am J Clin Nutr. 2009;90:49-55.
Andriole GL, Crawford ED, Grubb RL 3rd, Buys SS, Chia D, Church TR, Fouad MN, Gelmann EP, Kvale PA, Reding DJ, Weissfeld JL, Yokochi LA, O'Brien B, Clapp JD, Rathmell JM, Riley TL, Hayes RB, Kramer BS, Izmirlian G, Miller AB, Pinsky PF, Prorok PC, Gohagan JK, Berg CD; PLCO Project Team. Mortality results from a randomized prostate-cancer screening trial. N Engl J Med. 2009; 360:1310-1319.
Willcox BJ, Willcox DC, Ferrucci L. Secrets of healthy aging and longevity from exceptional survivors around the globe: lessons from octogenarians to supercentenarians. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2008 Nov;63(11):1181-85
Koropatnick TA, Kimbell J, Chen R, Grove JS, Donlon TA, Masaki KH, Rodriguez BL, Willcox BJ, Yano K, Curb JD. A prospective study of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, cholesteryl ester transfer protein gene variants, and healthy aging in very old Japanese-American men. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2008 Nov;63(11):1235-40
Willcox DC, Willcox BJ, Wang T, Rosenbaum M, Suzuki M. Life at the extreme limit: phenotypic characteristics of supercentenarians in Okinawa. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2008; Nov;63(11):1201-8.
Sekikawa A, Curb JD, Ueshima H, El-Saed A, Kadowaki T, Abbott RD, Evans RW, Rodriguez BL, Okamura T, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Nakamura Y, Masaki K, Edmundwicz D, Kashiwagi A, Willcox BJ, et al. Marine-derived n-3 fatty acids and atherosclerosis in Japanese, Japanese-American, and white men: a cross-sectional study. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2008;52:417-424.
Willcox BJ, Donlon, TA, He Q, Chen R, Yano K, Masaki KH, Grove JS, Rodriguez, BL, Willcox DC, Curb JD. FOXO3A Genotype is Strongly Associated with Human Longevity. Proc Nat'l Acad Sci U S A. 2008;105:13987-13992.
Willcox BJ, Curb JD, Rodriguez BL. Antioxidants in cardiovascular health and disease: key lessons from epidemiologic studies. Am J Cardiology 2008;101:S75-S86.
Willcox DC, Willcox BJ, He Q, Wang N-C, Suzuki M. They really are that old: a validation study of centenarian prevalence in Okinawa. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2008;63:338-349.
Willcox BJ, Willcox DC, Todoriki H, Fujiyoshi A, Yano K, He Q, Curb JD, Suzuki M. Caloric restriction, the traditional Okinawan diet and healthy aging: the diet of the world's longest-lived people and its potential impact on morbidity and lifespan. Ann N Y Acad Sci 2007;1114:434-455.
Suzuki M, Willcox C, Willcox B. The historical context of Okinawan longevity: influence of the United States and Mainland Japan. Okinawan J Am Studies 2007;4:46-61.
Willcox BJ, Willcox DC, Todoriki H, Yano K, Curb JD, Suzuki M. Caloric restriction, energy balance and healthy aging in Okinawans and Americans: biomarker differences in septuagenarians. Okinawan J Am Studies 2007;4:62-74.
Abbott RD, Ueshima H, Masaki KH, Willcox BJ, Rodriguez BL, Ikeda A, Yano K, White LR, Curb, JD. Coronary artery calcification and total mortality in elderly men. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2007;55:1948-1954.
Willcox B, Willcox D, He Q, Masaki K, Grove J, Chen R, Yano K, Curb JD, Suzuki M. Insights into Healthy Aging: The Okinawa Centenarian Study and the Hawaii Lifespan Study. International Centenarian Symposium Proceedings 2006;(7):63-67.
Abbott RD, Ueshima H, Rodriguez BL, Kadowaki T, Masaki KH, Willcox BJ, Sekikawa A, Kuller LH, Edmundowicz D, Shin C, Kashiwagi A, Nakamura Y, El-Saed A. Coronary artery calcification in Japanese men in Japan and Hawaii. Am J Epidemiol. 2007;166:1280-1287.
Willcox DC, Willcox BJ, Shimijiri S, Kurechi S, Suzuki M. Aging Gracefully: A Retrospective Analysis of Functional Status in Okinawan Centenarians. Am J Geriatr Psych 2007;15:252-256.
Willcox DC, Willcox BJ, Sokolovsky J, Sakihara S. The cultural context of successful aging among older women in a northern Okinawan village: the role of productive activity. J Cross Cultural Gerontol 2007;22:137-165.
Yanagita M, Willcox BJ, Masaki K, Chen R, He Q, Rodriguez BL, Ueshima H, Curb JD. Physical activity and depression: investigating a complex relationship using performance-based measures. Am J Geriatric Psych 2006;14:1060-8.
Willcox BJ. (Editorial). Centenarians and other exceptional survivors as models for aging research. AGE 2006;28:309-11.
Willcox DC, Willcox BJ, Hsueh WC, Suzuki M. Genetic determinants of exceptional human longevity: insights from the Okinawa Centenarian Study. AGE 2006;28:313-32.
Willcox BJ, He Q, Chen R, Yano K, Masaki KH, Grove JS, Donlon TA, Willcox DC, Curb JD. Midlife risk factors and healthy survival in men. JAMA 2006;296:2343-2350.
Willcox DC, Willcox BJ, Todoriki H, Curb JD, Suzuki M. Caloric restriction and human longevity: what can we learn from the Okinawans? Biogerontology 2006;7:173-77.
Curb JD, Ceria-Ulep CD, Rodriguez BL, Grove J, Guralnik J, Willcox BJ, Masaki KH, Chen R. Performance based measures of physical function for high function populations. J Am Geriatr Soc 2006;54(5):737-42.
Willcox BJ, Willcox DC, He Q, Curb JD, Suzuki M. Siblings of Okinawan centenarians exhibit lifelong mortality advantages. J Gerontol A Biol Med Sci 2006;61(4):345-54.
Imke C, Rodriguez BL, Grove JS, McNamara JR, Waslien C, Katz AR, Willcox BJ, Yano K, Curb JD. Are remnant-like particles independent predictors of coronary heart disease incidence? The Honolulu Heart Study. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 2005;25(8):1718-22.
Yano K, Willcox B, Chen R, Grove J, Rodriguez, B, Curb D. The impact of westernization on the risk of atherosclerotic vascular disease among Japanese-American men in Hawaii. International Congress Series 2004:1262:180-183.
Bernstein AM, Willcox BJ, Tamaki H, Kunishima N, et al. Autopsy of an Okinawan-Japanese centenarian: absence of many age-related diseases. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2004:459(11):1195-9.
Willcox BJ, Yano K, Chen R, Willcox DC, Rodriguez BL, Masaki KH, Donlon T, Tanaka B, Curb JD. How much should we eat? The association between energy intake and mortality in a 36-year follow-up study of Japanese-American men in Hawaii. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci 2004;59(8):789-95.
Suzuki M, Willcox BJ, Willcox DC. Successful aging: secrets of Okinawan longevity. Geriatrics and Gerontology International 2004;4(4):S180-1.
Willcox BJ, Scott JN. Growth associated proteins and regeneration-induced gene expression in the aging neuron. Mech Age Dev 2004;125:513-16.
Willcox BJ, Abbott RD, Yano K, Rodriguez BL, Willcox DC, Curb JD. C-reactive protein, cardiovascular disease and stroke: new roles for an old biomarker. Expert Rev Neurotherapeutics 2004;4(3):507-18.
Willcox BJ, Abbott RD, Yano K, Rodriguez BL, Willcox DC, Tanaka B, Curb JD. C-reactive protein as a novel risk factor for cardiovascular disease: is it ready for prime time? Cardiovascular Rev Rep 2004;25(2):66-69.
Todoriki H, Willcox DC, Willcox BJ. The Effects of Post-War Dietary change on longevity and health in Okinawa. Okinawan J Amer Studies 2004;1:55-64.
Scientific Abstracts (from > 100)
Shambaugh VL and Willcox B. Health and Aging in Asia and the U.S. Abstracts of the East-West Center/EWCA 50th Anniversary International Conference. Honolulu, HI, July 2010.
Willcox DC, Willcox BJ, Suzuki M and Curb JD. Cross-National Perspectives on Healthy Aging: Insights from the Study of the Oldest Old in Japan, Okinawa and Hawaii. FUTUREAGE: A European Roadmap for Healthy Aging Research. Newcastle, March, 2010.
Willcox B, Willcox, DC, Suzuki, M. Pathophysiological and Sociopsychological Evidence for Active and Resilient Centenarians. Keystone Symposium Abstracts, Lake Tahoe, CA, Feb 2010.
Willcox DC, Willcox BJ, Wang N-C, He Q, Rosenbaum M, Suzuki M. Phenotypic characteristics of super-centenarians in Okinawa, Japan. Abstracts of the XIXth World Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Paris, France, July 2009.
Willcox B, et al. Longitudinal Predictors of Healthy Aging. Abstracts of the XIXth World Congress of Gerontology and Geriatrics, Paris, France, July 2009.
Willcox D, Katsumata Y, Ohya Y, Sasaki S, Zheng KC, Willcox B, Todoriki, H. The Traditional Okinawa Diet: A Unique Nutritional Approach to Reducing Risk for Age Associated Disease. Abstracts of the 62nd Annual Meeting of the Geronotological Society of America, 2009.
Yee P, Willcox BJ, Chen R, Yano K, He Q, Grove J, Donlon T, Curb JD, Masaki K. Late Life Risk Factors and Healthy Survival: The Hawaii Lifespan Study. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2008;56 Suppl 1:1-238 (Best student research awardee: supervisors K. Masaki and B. Willcox).
Willcox B, et al. Genetic basis of exceptional longevity in Okinawans. Longevity Consortium Meeting Abstracts, Boulder, Co. June, 2008
Chapman-Novakofski K, Yano K, He Q, Chen R, Willcox BJ. Tofu intake and diabetes incidence in Japanese-American men. FASEB Journal. 2008;22:1095.7
Willcox DC, Willcox BJ, Suzuki M. Secrets of healthy aging from the Okinawans: the world's longest lived people. Proc 1st International Congress of Science in Nutrition, Rome, Italy, 2008.
Willcox DC, Willcox BJ, Wang N-C, He Q, Rosenbaum M, Suzuki M. What do we know about exceptional longevity in Okinawa: four decades of research on centenarians and super-centenarians. Abstracts of the 7th International Workshop on Supercentenarians, Nagoya, Japan, 2008.
Willcox B. Centenarians in Hawaii and Okinawa. Abstracts from the International Symposium on Geriatrics and Gerontology, Japan National institute for Longevity Science, Nagoya, Japan, Nov. 2008.
Choo J, Curb JD, Ueshima H, El-Saed A, Kadowaki T, Abbott RD, et al. Relation between serum PUFA and lipoprotein subclasses in US White, Japanese, and Japanese-American men. Abstracts of the 48th Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention Annual Conference, 2008.
Willcox B. Nutritional Keys to Healthy Aging. Abstracts from the Meeting of the Japan Institute of Health and Nutrition, Tokyo, Japan, November, 2008.
Willcox B. The Genetic Epidemiology of Healthy Aging: Disentangling the Effects of Genes, Ethnicity, and Environment. Abstracts from the Annual Meeting of the Minnesota Gerontological Society, Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN, April, 2008.
Hsueh W-C, He Q, Willcox DC, Suzuki M, Chen JW, Chen R, Yano K, Donlon T, Curb JD, Grove J, Browner WS, Cummings SR, Boehnke M, Kwok P-Y, Willcox BJ. Comparisons of genome diversity between the Okinawan and four HapMap populations. Abstracts of the American Society of Human Genetics, 57th Annual Meeting, October, 2007
He Q, Willcox BJ. A case study of time scale for use in Cox's Proportional Hazard Model. Abstracts of the Annual Meeting of the American Statistical Association, 2007.
Willcox BJ, Willcox DC, Curb J. The genetic epidemiology of human longevity: healthy aging around the globe. Gerontologist 2007;47(Sp. Iss. 1):401.
Willcox DC, Willcox BJ, Hsueh W-C, He Q, Curb JD, Suzuki M. The genetics of longevity in Okinawa and Hawaii. Gerontologist. 2007; 47(Sp. Iss. 1):401.
Willcox DC, Willcox BJ, He Q, Chen R, Yano K, et al. Biological insights for healthy aging. Gerontologist. 2007;47(Sp. Iss.1):465.
He Q, Willcox B, Curb D. Analysis of height and mortality data from the Honolulu Heart Program: a case study of the time scale in the Cox Proportional Hazard Model. J Stat Med Proc 2007:209
Curb JD, Rodriguez BL, Abbott RD, Willcox BJ, Donlon TA, Masaki KH, Seto T, Ueshima H, Sekikawa A, El-Saed A, Edmundowicz D, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Kuller LH. A comparison of subclinical atherosclerosis as assessed by coronary artery calcium levels in 40-49 year old Japanese and Caucasian men in the United States. Circulation 2006;114:II-824
Willcox B, Willcox D, Gondo Y, Yashin A, Hsueh W, Curb JD. The genetic epidemiology of healthy aging: disentangling the effects of genes, ethnicity and environment. Gerontologist 2006;46:137.
Willcox D, Willcox B, Curb J, Suzuki M, Hsueh W, He Q. Longevity and gene-environment interactions in Okinawa: a bio-cultural perspective. Gerontologist 2006;46:137.
Rodriguez B, Donlon T, Grove J, Chen R, Willcox B, Masaki K, Schatz I, Yano K, Popper J, Blanchette P, Curb JD. The association between the MTHFR genetic polymorphisms A1298C and C677T and 19-year incidence of CVD among Japanese-American men: the Honolulu Heart Program. American Heart Association Scientific Sessions, Chicago Illinois, November 2006.
Willcox D and Willcox B. Health Practices and Critical Intersections for the World's Longest-lived Society: Pushing the Limits of Life Expectancy. Proc Amer Anthropology Assoc Ann Meeting Presidential Symposium. San Jose, CA, Nov 2006.
Curb JD, Masaki K, Liang S, Chen R, Willcox B, Rodriguez B, Yano K, Ikeda A, Abbott R. Association of traditional cardiovascular risk factors and coronary calcification in elderly Japanese-American men: The Honolulu Heart Program. Circulation 2006;113(8):E358.
Schell J, Sawyer P, Willcox BJ, Willcox DC, Bodner EV, Allman RM. Multi-ethnic comparisons of life-space mobility II. J Am Ger Soc 2006. November Special Issue:168-169.
Willcox B, et al. Novel Predictors of Healthy Aging from Prospective Studies of the World's Longest-Lived People. Abstracts from the 3rd International Conference on Healthy Ageing and Longevity, Melbourne, Australia, October 2006.
Willcox, B et al. Zest for Life: Nutrition and Lifestyle for Healthy Aging. Abstracts from the Annual Meeting of the American Dietetic Association. Honolulu, HI, Sept., 2006.
Schell J, Sawyer P, Willcox BJ, Willcox DC, Bodner EV, Allman RM. Multi-ethnic comparisons of life-space mobility I. JAGS. 2006. May Special Issue.
Curb JD, Rodriguez BL, Abbott RD, Willcox BJ, Donlon TA, Seto T, et al. A comparison of subclinical atherosclerosis as assessed by coronary artery calcium levels in 40-49 year old Japanese and Caucasian men in the United States. Circulation. 2006;114:11:824.
Curb JD, Masaki K, Liang S, Chen R, Willcox B, Rodriguez B, Yano K, Ikeda A, Abbott R. Association of Traditional Cardiovascular Risk Factors and Coronary Calcification in Elderly Japanese-American Men: The Honolulu Heart Program. Proceedings of the American Heart Association Epidemiology Session Phoenix, Arizona, March 2006.
Masaki K, Rodriguez B, Chen R, Mody S, Abbott R, White Lon, Petrovitch H, Ross G; Blanchette P, Willcox B, Curb JD, Woodman R. The Impact of Anemia on Cognitive Decline in Elderly Japanese-American Men. The Honolulu-Asia Aging Study. American Geriatrics Society Annual Meeting Abstracts, Chicago Illinois, May 2006.
Willcox B, Willcox DC, Curb JD, Suzuki M. Genetic Factors in the Healthy Aging of Okinawans. Abstracts of the 58th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Gerontological Society of America, Orlando Florida, November, 2005.
Willcox B, et al. Whole Genome Analysis in Okinawans. Longevity Consortium Meeting Abstracts, San Diego, CA, Nov 2005.
Willcox DC, Willcox BJ, Shimijiri S, Kurechi S, Suzuki M. A retrospective analysis of functional change in Okinawan centenarians. Gerontologist 2005;45(Sp.Iss.2):593-4.
Rodriguez BL, Abbott RD, Mody SH, Masaki K, Willcox B, Petrovitch H, Ross W, Schatz I, Blanchette P, Curb JD, Woodman RC. The impact of hemoglobin on total mortality in elderly Asian-American men: The Honolulu Heart Program. Blood 2005;106(11);174A.
Kimata C, Rodriguez B, Grove JS, Willcox BJ. Walking reduces the incidence of coronary heart disease among elderly individuals with diabetes: The Honolulu Heart Program. Circulation 2005;112(17 Suppl. S):U898.
Willcox BJ, Willcox DC, Curb JD, Allman RM. Exceptional longevity in Okinawa: interdisciplinary and cross-national perspectives on healthy aging. Gerontologist 2005;45(Sp. Iss. 2):593-4.
Willcox BJ, Hsueh WC, He Q, Willcox DC, Curb JD, Suzuki M. Substantial advantage for longevity in siblings of Okinawan centenarians. Genetic Epidemiology 2005;29:286-287.
Willcox DC, Willcox BJ, Todoriki H, Yano K, Curb JD. Can lower energy intake reduce mortality risk in human populations? XVII World Congress of Epidemiology Abstracts 2005:342
Schell J, Allman R, Sawyer-Baker P, Willcox B, Bodner E, Willcox DC. Life space mobility among rural Okinawan older adults. Gerontologist. 2005;45(Sp. Iss.2): 593-594.
Gondo Y, Masue H, Inagaki H, Hirose N, Willcox DC, Willcox B, Suzuki M. Personality and cognitive factors in the healthy aging of Okinawan and Tokyo centenarians. Gerontologist. 2005;45(Sp. Iss.2):593-594.
Willcox B, et al. Update on Healthy Aging from the Okinawa Centenarian Study. 2nd International Conference on Healthy Ageing and Longevity, Brisbane, Australia, 2004.
Curb JD, Chen R, Grove J, Willcox BJ, Donlon T, Yano K, Tall A, Masaki K, Rodriguez BL. HDL cholesterol, CETP genetic variants and survival in elderly Japanese American men. Gerontologist 2004;44(Sp. Iss. 1):222.
Curb JD, Hadley E, Willcox BJ. The genetics of exceptional survival: The Pacific Genetic Epidemiologic Study. Gerontologist 2004;44(Sp. Iss. 1):439-40.
Martin P, Fry P, Willcox BJ, Willcox DC, Poon L, Rott C. Personal and Familial characteristics of exceptional survivors. Gerontologist 2004;44(Sp. Iss. 1):596-7.
Willcox DC, Suzuki M, He Q, Yoo K, Curb JD, Willcox BJ. All in the family: do siblings of centenarians also live longer? Abstracts of the 57th Annual Scientific Meeting, Gerontological Society of America. November 2004. Washington, DC.
Willcox BJ, Masaki K, Grove J, Fong K, Yano K, Willcox DC, Curb JD. Defining the phenotype of the exceptional survivor: a 36-year follow-up of non-smoking, middle-aged Japanese-American men. Abstracts of the 57th Annual Scientific Meeting, Gerontological Society of America. November 2004. Washington, DC.
Willcox B, et al. The Okinawa diet and cardiovascular disease. Abstracts from the American Heart Association Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA. Nov 2004.
Yano K, Willcox B, Chen R, Rodriguez B, Curb JD. The impact of westernization on the risk of atherosclerotic vascular disease among Japanese-American men in Hawaii. Atheroscler Suppl 2003;4(2):7.
Willcox BJ, Todoriki H, Willcox DC, Suzuki M, Yano K, Abbott R, Rodriguez B, Curb J. Early life caloric restriction and exceptional survival in Okinawa: 50 years of population data. Gerontologist 2003;43 (Sp. Iss. 1):2. (Hot Poster Section)

C. Research Support

Ongoing
R01 AG027060 (Willcox) 09/30/005-08/31/11
NIH/NIA
Defining the Healthy Aging Phenotype
Aims: To study the functional characteristics of healthy aging over the lifespan and identify biological and behavioral factors that enable people to survive to exceptional ages in good health. We are using existing human longitudinal data and specimens from the 40+ year Honolulu Heart Program (HHP) dataset, and studying SNPs in the insulin signaling pathway that might be linked to the healthy aging phenotype in a cohort of exceptionally healthy and long-lived men.
Role: PI
N01-CN-25515 (Yokochi) 09/03/92-9/29/11
NIH/NCI
Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian Cancer Screening Trial
Aims: To determine whether screening tests for prostate, lung, colorectal and ovarian cancers will reduce the number of deaths from these cancers.
Role: Co-Investigator
N01-CN-25515 (Balkin) 07/01/02-6/30/11
NIH/NCI
National Lung Screening Trial
Aims: To examine the risks and benefits of spiral computed tomography (CT) and standard chest X-ray in the detection of lung cancer.
Role: Co-Investigator
Completed
5 U19 AG023122-03 (Cummings) 07/01/06-06/30/07
California Pacific Medical Center Research Institute
The Genetic Basis for Exceptional Longevity in Okinawa
Aims: Investigate the linkage disequilibrium patterns of Okinawans and determine whether this genotyping platform provides adequate coverage for a larger genome-wide association study.
Role: Subcontract PI
1 KO8 AG22788-01 (Willcox) 09/30/03-12/31/05
NIH\NIA
Defining the Genetics of Exceptional Human Survival
Aims: Career development award that provided salary and educational support to help plan a study of cross-national survival characteristics of Okinawan-Japanese with other cohorts of exceptionally long-lived men and women, particularly the Honolulu Heart Program cohort, in order to determine the etiological factors important for the healthy aging phenotype.
Role: PI
2003-1343 (Abbott/Willcox) 06/01/03-08/30/05
Hawaii Community Foundation
Coronary Calcium in Japanese-American Men of Exceptional Longevity
Aims: To determine the prevalence of coronary calcification (as measured by ultra-fast spiral computed tomography) and its association with risk factor profiles in elderly Japanese American men.
Role: Co-Investigator
1R01 AG18715-01 (Curb) 09/30/00-08/31/04
NIH/NIA
Pacific Genetic Epidemiological Study on Aging
Aims: To develop a new genetic network [the Pacific Genetic (PacGen) Network] of experts in genetics, epidemiology, geriatrics, and biostatistics to study whether polymorphisms of single genes with important effects metabolic pathways may contribute to aging and chronic diseases.
Role: Co-Investigator
1 R03 AG21293-01 (Willcox) 09/30/02-08/31/03
NIH/NIA
The Genetics of Exceptional Longevity in Okinawa-Japan
Aims: To assemble pedigrees of centenarian families to assess familial contributions to exceptional survival in Okinawans and build resources for genetic studies of longevity.
Role: PI
48553 (Willcox) 07/01/01 - 06/30/02
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Warren-Williams-Richardson Fellowship
Harvard Medical School
Successful Cognitive Aging in Centenarians
Aims: To study the prevalence of and risk factors for dementia in a population-based study of centenarians.
Role: PI