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| Research Interests Overview Our laboratory studies the molecular mechanisms of aging and longevity. We are particularly interested in the aging of the nervous system. An emerging concept is that organismal aging, long thought to be a byproduct of wear and tear, is actually a highly controlled process, regulated by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. The search for genes that play a central role in controlling lifespan in several species has converged on components of the signaling pathway that connects insulin/insulin like growth factors to FOXO transcription factors and on the family of Sirtuin deacetylases. We are interested in using the ‘longevity genes’ FOXO factors and SIRT deacetylases, as molecular handles to understand the genetic programs that regulate aging and longevity in mammals. We are particularly interested in the role of the nervous system in longevity. Our other goal is to discover novel genes and pathways that control lifespan using three genetic models for aging: the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans, the rapidly aging fish Nothobranchius furzeri, and the mammal Mus musculus.
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