 | Michael H. Brodsky, Ph.D.
University of Massachusetts Medical School | | Epigenetic Regulation of Drosophila Telomere Protection
2004 New Scholar Award in Aging
Telomeres are protein-DNA structures that prevent the termini of chromosomes from being recognized as DNA damage-induced chromosome breaks. Telomere maintenance has been proposed to play a central role in human aging by limiting the replicative potential of somatic cell populations and preventing genomic instability. Humans that inherit... (more) |
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 | Andrew G. Dillin, Ph.D.
Salk Institute for Biological Studies | | Regulation of Aging by Insulin/IGF-1 and Mitochondrial Signaling Pathways
2004 New Scholar Award in Aging
While aging has long been recognized as an interesting phenomenon, it is only recently that it has become the subject of genetic analysis. This principally derives from the observation that single gene mutations in yeast, worms, flies and mice can markedly increase the life span of these organisms.
Which gene... (more) |
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 | Eitan Glick, Ph.D.
University of Washington | | Age-dependent Defects in the Mitochondrial Import Machinery
2004 New Scholar Award in Aging
The decline in energy with age highlights energy metabolism and the role of mitochondria in aging. Aged cells accumulate oxidative DNA damage that is likely to be responsible for the observed increase in mutations, particularly in the mitochondrial genome. The major source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the cell is the mitochondria,... (more) |
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 | Jaime Grutzendler, M.D.
Northwestern University | | Dynamics of Neuronal-Microglia Interactions in Alzheimer’s disease
2004 New Scholar Award in Aging
Synaptic stability is likely to be critical for long term information storage and normal memory function. In Alzheimer’s disease (AD), synapses have been shown to be one of the earliest neuronal structures to be affected and their loss could be a very important factor in the cognitive decline associated with the disease. The... (more) |
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 | Su-Ju Lin, Ph.D.
University of California - Davis | | Genetic and Chemical Genetic Approaches to Study the MolecularMmechanism of Caloric Restriction and Longevity Regulation
2004 New Scholar Award in Aging
Caloric restriction (CR) is the most effective intervention known to extend life span in a variety of species including mammals. CR has also been shown to delay the onset or reduce the incidence of many age-related diseases. For example CR suppresses the carcinogenic effect of... (more) |
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Carlos Lois, M.D., Ph.D.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology | | The Role of Adult Neurogenesis in the Brain of Adult Songbirds: A Transgenic Approach
2004 New Scholar Award in Aging
It is generally assumed that the generation of neurons ceases before or soon after birth, and consequently, that neurons are not replaced in the brain of adult animals. According to this view, neurons are long-lived, such that their synaptic connections are able to encode information over long periods of time.... (more) |
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 | Scott Pletcher, Ph.D.
Baylor College of Medicine | | The Role of Innate Immunity Signaling in Lifespan Extension via Dietary Restriction in Drosophila melanogaster
2004 New Scholar Award in Aging
Immunosenescence is the deterioration of immune function that accompanies aging and that contributes to age-dependent increases in infection, mortality, and potentially cancer. Dietary restriction is a manipulation whereby exposing experimental animals to a reduced-calorie... (more) |
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 | Pere Puigserver, Ph.D.
Johns Hopkins University | | Regulation of Glucose Homeostasis through PGC-1a and SIR2a
2004 New Scholar Award in Aging
Glucose homeostasis is highly dysregulated in metabolic diseases such as obesity and diabetes as well as in dietary manipulations such as caloric restriction. Caloric restriction is a dietary regimen low in calories that extends life span, but the mechanisms by which dietary caloric... (more) |
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 | Catherine A. Wolkow, Ph.D.
National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health | | Tracing Pathways for Controlling Longevity by Insulin-like Signaling in the Nervous System
2004 New Scholar Award in Aging
One strategy for moderating detrimental effects of aging is to commandeer hormonal pathways that coordinate aging in different tissues. The first obstacle to this goal is identifying such "longevity hormones". Among the many remarkable discoveries from the roundworm, Caenorhabditis elegans, is the fact... (more) |
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 | Xiaohua Wu, Ph.D.
Scripps Research Institute | | Understanding the Role of the Nbs1/Mre11/Rad50 Complex in the Maintenance of Genome Stability and the Prevention of Premature Aging
2004 New Scholar Award in Aging
Accumulation of DNA damage and loss of telomere protection contribute significantly to the aging process. The Nbs1, Mre11 and Rad50 complex (NMR) plays an important role in DNA double strand break (DSB) repair and telomere maintenance. Two components of this complex,... (more) |
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