In the NCHA vision the public health at older ages can and should be improved. Healthy ageing research should primarily address the question: what factors keep people healthy up to a high age? What can we learn from their genetic and metabolic constitution, their life style and the interaction with environmental factors like food, exercise, sleep and their socio-economic status? In addition, can we get a better understanding the factors underlying the onset of unhealthy ageing and disease?

Can we use this knowledge in an integrated way to improve the health of those who are the less fortunate agers, by better prevention, care and cure?  NCHA is trying to find genes and to unravel metabolic processes related to longevity and age-related diseases. We also try to find out how environmental factors, including lifestyle, influence the ageing process and hope to discover keystones to answer the question: how can people live healthier for longer?

NCHA is started as an alliance between the Leiden University Medical Centre, the Erasmus Medical Centre and business partners Unilever, Philips, Galápagos and McRoberts. It recently expanded with the Wageningen University, the Groningen University Medical Centre, the Academic Medical Centre and the VU University and business partners Pfizer and DSM. NCHA is supported by the Netherlands Genomics Initiative.
 

Designers and Artists for Genomics Award for NCHA with the contribution of 'The Edible Time Machine' by Zack Denfeld, Yashas Shetty and Cathrine Kramer. Read more ►

Nature and Nature Genetics paper: Many new leads for blood pressure regulation are found in a really large genetic study. Read more 

VENI grant and Young Investigator Award for Kai Ye
Read more 

Staying healthy with or without pills? Interview with two graduated PhD students.
Read more