Suresh Rattan

Suresh Rattan
Suresh I. S. Rattan, biogerontologist at theAarhus University's Department of Molecular Biology and Genetics
Born	1955 Amritsar,India
Alma mater	Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar,Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi,National Institute for Medical Research, Mill Hill, London
Known for	Gerontogenes anti-aging effects ofkinetinandzeatin Hormesisandhormetins
Scientific career
Fields	Biogerontology
Institutions	Aarhus University
Doctoral advisor	Drs.Robin Hollidayand Ian Buchanan

Suresh Rattan(full name:Suresh Inder Singh Rattan;born in 1955 inAmritsar,India) is abiogerontologist– a researcher in the field of biology of ageing,biogerontology.

In addition to his professional research work on the biology ofageing,he is also very much interested and involved in the public communication of scienceand he likes to undertake explorations in theIndian classical musicand semi-classical music by playingTabla– the North Indian drums, as evident from music CDs "State of the Art: Small Town People" by Harry Jokumsen and other artists (2008), and "The Fall and the Rise of a Woman" by Pearl (2014) in which he plays Tabla under his artistic name Shashi Maharaj.

Academic background

Suresh Rattan has been heading, since its inception in 1984, the Laboratory of Cellular Ageing at the Department of Molecular Biology and Geneticsat theAarhus Universityin Denmark, where he has become Emeritus since 2020. He was introduced to the field of ageing by Professor Suraj P. Sharma at theGuru Nanak Dev University(GNDU),Amritsar,India,during his BSc and MSc studies (1973–1977), followed by MPhil studies on the regenerative capacity of Hydra, under the guidance of Professor Sivatosh Mookerjee, at the School of Life Sciences,Jawaharlal Nehru University(JNU), New Delhi, India (1977–1979). Suresh Rattan earned his PhD in 1982 from theNational Institute for Medical Research,Mill Hill, London, UK, based on his research project testing the error theory of cellular ageing, under the supervision of Dr.Robin HollidayFRS, and Dr. Ian Buchanan. He also earned the degree of Doctor of Science (DSc) in 1995, from the Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Aarhus, Denmark, based on his post-PhD research work on the molecular biology of human cellular ageing. He is also the recipient of anHonorary Doctoratefrom the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences for his "...fruitful research and training in the field of biology of ageing, as well as his outstanding contribution to dissemination of scientific knowledge in basic gerontology...". He has been awarded a Visiting Professorship at the Faculty of Science,Palacky University in Olomouc, Czech Republic(2012–2016). TheBritish Society for Research on Ageing(BSRA) has awarded their prestigiousLord Cohen Medalto Suresh Rattan for his continuing contributions to gerontology.He was unanimously elected as the President/Chair of the Biological Section of the European Region of theInternational Association of Gerontology and Geriatrics(IAGG-ER) for the periods 2011–2015, 2015 to 2019, and again for the period 2019–2023.He was also given the Outstanding Career Achievement Award - 2017, by the International Dose Response Society, USA

Suresh Rattan has published over 300 research and review articles and about 20 bookson the biology of ageing, including those for school children and general public. He is the founding Editor-in-Chief ofBiogerontology,a leading peer reviewed journal in the field of ageing. His name has been included inMarquis Who's Who in the World(from 1993);Marquis Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare (from 1998); and International Directory of Distinguished Leadership (from 1998). He was a member of theWorld Economic Forum's Global Agenda Council on Gerontology (2008–2009).

Important contributions

Suresh Rattan's major intellectual contribution ingerontologyis the formulation of the concepts of essential lifespan and virtual gerontogenes regarding the nature of genes involved in ageing that real gerontogenes do not exist. Additionally, in the area of ageing modulation, Suresh Rattan is credited with the sole inventorship for discovering the anti-ageing effects of kinetinandzeatinin human skin cells; and these compounds are being used in several skin-care cosmetics throughout the world, for exampleValeantproductKinerase. His areas of expertise include ageing, anti-ageing and healthy ageing of human cells, speciallyfibroblasts,keratinocytes,osteoblasts,and bone marrowstem cells.His current research focuses on the beneficial effects of mild stress,Hormesis,and discovering hormetins (a new category of natural and synthetic compounds which bring about their beneficial effects through hormesis) for slowing down ageing and improving the quality of life in old age. The first skincare product to come out of the theory of hormesis is theVaxin for Youth from Givenchy.He has also put forward the terms for the science and study of hormesis, and "hormetin" for any condition that can bring about hormesis "hormetics".

Books

Suresh Rattan has written/edited/co-edited the following books on ageing in English, Punjabi and Danish:

In English

• Successful Ageing: Ambition and Ambivalence, Authors: Clemens Tesch-Romer, Hans-Werner Wahl, Suresh I.S. Rattan, and Liat Ayalon; Oxford University Press, UK; 2021ISBN9780192897534
• Nutrition, Food and Diet in Ageing and Longevity, Editors: Suresh I.S. Rattan and Gurcharan Kaur; volume 14 in the book series "Healthy Ageing and Longevity", Springer Nature, Switzerland, 2021ISBN978-3-030-83016-8
• Explaining Health Across the Sciences, Editors: Jonathan Sholl and Suresh I.S. Rattan; volume 12 in the book series "Healthy Ageing and Longevity", Springer Nature, Switzerland, 2020ISBN978-3-030-52663-4
• Encyclopedia of Biomedical Gerontology, Editor-in-Chief: Suresh I.S. Rattan; 3 volumes, Elsevier/Academic Press; 2020ISBN978-0-12-816075-6
• The Science of Hormesis in Health and Longevity, Academic Press UK; 2019ISBN978-3-319-63000-7
• AGE, in the series Reflections, by Aarhus University Press, 2018ISBN978-87-7184-735-2
• Hormones in Ageing and Longevity, 2017ISBN978-3-319-63000-7doi:10.1007/978-3-319-63001-4
• Cellular Ageing and Replicative Senescence, 2016 (ISBN978-3-319-26237-6[1])
• Hormesis in Health and Disease, 2014 (ISBN978-148-2205459)
• Brain Aging and Therapeutic Interventions, 2012 (ISBN978-94-007-5236-8)
• Calorie Restriction, Aging, and Longevity, 2010 (ISBN978-90-481-8555-9)
• Mild Stress and Healthy Aging: Applying hormesis in ageing research and interventions, 2008 (ISBN978-1-4020-6868-3)
• Healthy Aging and Longevity, 2007 (ISBN978-1-57331-680-4)
• Biogerontology: Mechanisms and Interventions, 2007 (ISBN978-1-57331-679-8)
• Prevention and Treatment of Age-related Diseases (ISBN978-1-4020-4884-5)
• Understanding and Modulating Aging, 2006 (ISBN978-1-57331-599-9)
• Aging Interventions and Therapies, 2005 (ISBN981-256-084-X)
• Biological Aging and Its Modulation, 2003 (ISBN1-4020-1369-8)
• Molecular Gerontology: Research Status and Strategies, 1996 (ISBN0-306-45491-2)
• Where's Baba Gone?, 1999, 2001, 2012 (ISBN81-87510-20-X)-a popular science-in-fiction book for children.,also published in Punjabi

(Gurmukhi and Shahmukhi scripts), Hindi (Devnagri script), Polish and Romanian languages.

In Punjabi, Hindi and other languages

• ਬਾਬਾ ਕਿੱਥੇ ਗਏ, 1997, 2001 (ISBN81-87510-05-6)- (Where's Baba Gone?; also inPolishas Dokad Odchodzisz?, 2009; (ISBN978-83-928015-1-1); in Hindi as बाबा कहाँ गए? (2011;ISBN81-87510-19-6); and in Romanian as Unde Sa-Dus Baba? (2012;ISBN978-606-588-391-8)
• ਧਰਮ, ਮਨੁਖਤਾ ਤੇ ਵਿਗਿਆਨ, 2003(Religion, Humanity, and Science) – a collection of essays.

In Danish

• E=GMC2 – formlen for evig ungdom (ISBN87-7417-685-4)(E=GMC2 – The Formula for Eternal Youth)
• ALDER - in the series Tænkepause, published by Aarhus University Press, 2017 (ISBN978-87-7124-924-8); also published in English as AGE, by Aarhus University Press, and in Polish and Turkish languages.

See also

• Hormesis
• Life extension
• Senescence

External links

• Personal website of Dr. Suresh Rattan
• Biogerontology Journal