L. Stephen Coles

L. Stephen Coles (born 1943, died 2014) was an American gerontologist and co-founder of the Los Angeles Gerontology Research Group. He was known for his research on the world's oldest people and his work on telomeres, the protective caps on the ends of chromosomes that shorten as cells divide.

Early Life and Education[edit | edit source]

Coles was born in 1943 in New York City. He received his Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from Princeton University in 1966. He then went on to earn a Ph.D. in Systems and Communication Sciences from Stanford University in 1974, and an M.D. from the University of Miami School of Medicine in 1981.

Career[edit | edit source]

After completing his medical degree, Coles moved to Los Angeles, where he co-founded the Los Angeles Gerontology Research Group in 1990. The group's primary focus was on researching the world's oldest people and the biological reasons for their longevity.

Coles was particularly interested in the role of telomeres in aging. He believed that by understanding how telomeres shorten as cells divide, it might be possible to develop treatments to slow or reverse the aging process.

In addition to his research, Coles was a lecturer in the Computer Science Department at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he taught courses on the biology of aging and the future of computing.

Death[edit | edit source]

Coles died on December 3, 2014, at the age of 71.

Legacy[edit | edit source]

Coles' work on telomeres and aging has been influential in the field of gerontology. His research has contributed to our understanding of the biological processes that contribute to aging and longevity.