Description: Dr Horvath's research lies at the intersection of aging research, epidemiology, chronic diseases, epigenetics, genetics, and systems biology. He works on all aspects of biomarker development with a particular focus on genomic biomarkers of aging. He developed a highly accurate multi-tissue biomarker of aging known as the epigenetic clock. Dr Horvath developed systems biologic approaches such as weighted gene co-expression network analysis which lend themselves for integrating gene genomic data sets. These methods have been used for a broad spectrum of age-related diseases including neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, cardiovascular disease. Dr. Horvath received a Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill in 1995 and a Doctorate of Science in Biostatistics from the Harvard School of Public Health in 2000.

Description: Future mortality improvement is an important assumption in the valuation of life insurance and annuities. In this session, presenters will discuss the work of the Mortality Improvement subgroup of the American Academy of Actuaries’ Life Experience Committee and the Society of Actuaries’ Preferred Mortality Oversight Group Valuation Basic Table Team in developing mortality improvement scales for AG-38 and VM-20. In addition, two recent SOA efforts on mortality improvement will be examined. Research on developing a broader framework for modeling mortality improvement assumptions is being developed to enable U.S. actuaries additional ways to follow a consistent approach across a variety of actuarial practice applications. Results from a study on U.S. population mortality by socioeconomic category and how it fits into the broader consistent framework will be presented. Additionally, results of a survey on mortality improvement practices of life insurance companies and reinsurers in Canada and the U.S. will be shared.

Description: Presented at May 1996 Spring Meeting. Who are our customers? What do they value? How do they buy? These are just a few of the questions that must always be considered. This panel discusses the answers to these and other questions as they exist today and as they will develop over the next five years.

Description: Demographers have typically viewed mortality trends from historical and cross-national perspectives, looking at commonalities in the evolution of mortality. In general, with improving economic conditions mortality has tended to decline and life expectancies to rise. The epidemiological transition from a mortality pattern dominated by infectious diseases to one in which more endogenous causes of death predominate is a central theme.

Description: This session from the 1995 SOA New Orleans Meeting discusses what constitutes the senior market, the trends, the needs of seniors, how to access the market and market segmentation. From the Record of the Society of Actuaries, Vol. 21, No. 1.

Description: Papers: Chronic Diseases and Longevity Risk: An Application to Type II Diabetes Insurance Products – Hsin-Chung Wang, Ph.D. - Aletheia University; Jack C. Yue, ASA, Ph.D. – National Chengchi University; Ting-Chung Chang - Chihlee University of Technology Understanding Multimorbidities - Sam Gutterman, FSA, CERA, FCA, FCAS, HONFIA, MAAA

Description: This panel discussion from the 1983 SOA Spring Meeting examines market research methodology and how changes in demographic and economic conditions impact market choices, distribution systems and products.

Description: Papers: Rotation of the Age Pattern of Mortality Improvements in European Union Member States – Peter Vekas Corvinus University of Budapest Short and Long Term Dynamics of Cause-specific Mortality Rates Using the Cointegration Analysis – Severine Arnold, Ph.D.; Viktoriya Glushko – University of Lausanne

Description: Two recent SOA research projects will be discussed. The first covers analysis of the drivers of mortality that shaped trends in US mortality. The second will look at using causes of death to predict future mortality improvements