Understanding and modeling aging

Aging is associated with a decline in tissue function and the onset of a constellation of diseases. We are interested in understanding aging, with a particular focus on brain aging. Because aging is complex, we use organisms with diverse lifespans – the worm C. elegans, the African killifish, the mouse, and cells from mice and humans. We are interested in identifying epigenetic and metabolic pathways involved in delaying aging in response to external stimuli, including nutrients and the opposite sex. Our lab is also interested in using mouse models to address complex questions about mammalian aging, notably the regulation of regenerative neural stem cells and their progeny during aging. Finally, we are pioneering the naturally short-lived African killifish as a new model to identify principles underlying vertebrate aging and “suspended animation”. We hope that these discoveries will identify new strategies to delay, suspend, or even reverse aspects of aging and age-related diseases.