These were the speakers at Undoing Aging 2019:
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Dr. Jerry Shay
Jerry W. Shay is the Vice Chairman of the Department of Cell Biology at The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. He is also the Associate Director of the Harold Simmon's NCI Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center, and holds the Southland Corporation Distinguished Chair in Geriatrics Research. He holds the title of Distinguish Teaching Professor. In 2012 he was awarded a University of Texas Regent’s Outstanding Teaching Award, in 2013 the Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation Professor Award and in 2015 the Distinguished Basic Science Educator Award. Dr. Shay’s seminal work on the relationships of telomeres and telomerase to aging and cancer is well recognized. Dr. Shay received the AlliedSignal Award, the Ted Nash Foundation Award, the American Association of Aging Hayflick Award, an Ellison Medical Foundation Senior Scholar Award, and in 2017 Dr. Shay received the Eunice Kennedy Shriver NIH Alliance Pioneer Award. |
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Dr. Judith Campisi
Judith Campisi received a PhD from the State University of New York, and postdoctoral training at the Harvard Medical School. She was on the Boston University Medical School faculty before joining the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in 1991. In 2002, she started a second laboratory at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. At both institutions, she established a broad program to understand the relationship between aging and disease, with an emphasis on cancer and aging. Her laboratory made pioneering discoveries in these areas, and she received numerous awards for her research. She is a member of the National Academy of Sciences and serves on numerous editorial and scientific advisory boards. |
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Prof. Richard W. Barker
Richard Barker is an internationally respected leader in healthcare and life sciences. He is Founding Director of New Medicine Partners, a global firm assisting public and private sector organisations to accelerate the worldwide development and adoption of precision medicine. He is chairman of the South London Health Innovation Network and of the corresponding Genomic Medicine Centre. He also chairs Kvatchii, a digital health company bringing cardiovascular health improvement to India and other middle income economies. He is a board member of Image Analysis, a UK company using MRI to quantify the impact of therapy on disease and of Celgene, a major US-based bio-therapeutics company. His 30-year business career in healthcare has spanned biopharmaceuticals, diagnostics and medical informatics – both in the USA and Europe. The senior roles he has held include: Director General of the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, General Manager of Healthcare Solutions for IBM, Chief Executive of Chiron Diagnostics and head of McKinsey’s European healthcare practice. His book on the future of healthcare ‘2030 - The Future of Medicine: Avoiding a Medical Meltdown’ and his second book ‘Bioscience – lost in translation?’ are published by Oxford University Press. |
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Dr. Ruby Yanru Chen-Tsai
Ruby Yanru Chen-Tsai, PhD, Co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer, Applied StemCell, Inc. Dr. Chen-Tsai received her PhD from Cornell University and did her post-doc research at Stanford University. She has been doing research in genome editing and stem cells over 20 years. Prior to joining ASC, Dr. Chen-Tsai worked at Stanford University for 16 years as the Director of Transgenic Research Center and Associate Director of the Stanford Cancer Institute, overseeing nine research technology labs. Her research at Stanford focused on using Parkinson patient-specific iPS cell lines and their differentiation to dopaminergic neurons as a disease model-in-a-dish. She is a co-inventor of the TARGATT™ integrase technology for site-specific gene insertion. Dr. Chen-Tsai is an author of many scientific papers and holder of over fifteen patents. Dr. Chen-Tsai is currently leading Applied StemCell's therapeutic pipeline with a strong focus on monogenic blood disorders that are characterized by high genetic penetrance. |
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Dr. Joachim Lingner
Dr. Lingner is full professor for life sciences at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland. He obtained his PhD at the Biocenter of the University of Basel with Dr. Walter Keller. As a postdoc, he worked in the laboratory of Dr. Thomas Cech at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute of the University of Colorado at Boulder. Dr. Lingner obtained the Friedrich Miescher Prize (2002), is elected EMBO member (2005) and ERC advanced investigator awardee (2008). Dr. Lingner’s work is aimed at obtaining mechanistic insights into the structure and function of human telomeres in health, cancer development and in aging. In his talk, Dr. Lingner will present new findings on the significant consequences that are caused by the oxidative damage of telomeres and cellular protection mechanisms that counteract this damage in order to enhance cellular lifespan. |
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Joshua McClure, MBA
Joshua McClure is Founder and CEO of MaxWell Biosciences. Joshua has co-invented and secured over a dozen patents in the areas of multi-tissue regeneration and gene expression modulation in collaboration with co-inventors at Stanford University, and University of California Berkeley. McClure leads a team of some of the world's top scientists and clinicians in the field of tissue regeneration, using computational systems medicine to personalize therapies. A graduate of the USAF Academy, McClure has been a leader of tech companies for over 15 years and comes to industry with a background in top secret USAF projects. He has invented multiple new category-first companies, revolutionary new technologies and now devotes his time to biotechnologies with the capacity to reverse age-related degeneration, and optimize human longevity. MaxWell is working with Mayo Clinic, The American Red Cross and others to bring these technologies to humans. |
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Dr. Graham Pawelec
Graham Pawelec received an MA in Natural Sciences in 1974 and a PhD in Transplantation Immunology in 1982 from the University of Cambridge, UK and is currently Professor of Experimental Immunology at the Center for Medical Research, Second Department of Internal Medicine, University of Tübingen Medical School, Tübingen, Germany. He is a Visiting Professor, Nottingham Trent University, UK and at King´s College London, holds an Honorary Chair at Manchester University, UK and is also a Faculty Member, Cancer Solutions Program, Health Sciences North Research Institute, Sudbury, ON, Canada. He is a Fellow of the Gerontological Society of America and is Co-Editor-in-Chief of “Cancer Immunology Immunotherapy”, and Deputy Editor of the “Journal of Translational Medicine” and “Immunity and Aging”. Dr. Pawelec has been active on multiple Advisory Boards for Pharma, review panels for granting agencies and European Commission road mapping exercises. He has organised or co-organised many international conferences, most recently the Keystone Conference “Aging, Inflammation and Immunity”, Austin, TX, USA, 25.2.-1.3.2018, and Progress in Vaccination against Cancer 18 (PIVAC 18, Oslo, Norway, 3.-6.10.2018), the latter the most recent of a series of conferences which have taken place every year since 2001. His laboratory research focuses on immunity and ageing, particularly in the context of vaccination in cancer and infectious disease. His work on immune function in the elderly has led him to conclude that individualized manipulation of the immune system to enhance the generation of naïve T cells necessary for adaptive immunity against neoantigens, coupled with modulating the dysregulated state of innate immunity which contributes to inflammaging, will help to rebalance immune responses in older adults and restore appropriate immune protection while reducing the effects of “friendly fire” by misguided immune activity. |
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Dr. Julie K. Andersen
Julie K. Andersen, a Professor at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging in Novato, CA will be speaking at the Undoing Aging 2019 conference. Her current work focuses on basic age-related processes including cellular senescence and autophagy that underlie neurodegenerative disorders such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Her work has been featured in The Guardian and The Scientist as well as being cited in the News and Views section of the journal Science. Over the course of her 25 year academic career, Dr. Andersen has spoken at numerous national and international conferences, authored over 150 publications, and is the holder of several patents on novel therapeutics for age-related neurodegenerative disorders. Dr. Andersen says that “only by understanding the mechanisms that underlie aging itself will we truly understand what drives these chronic diseases and be able to develop novel interventions”. |
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Dr. Mikhail S. Shchepinov.
Mikhail S. Shchepinov is Chief Science Officer at Retrotope, Inc. USA. From 2000 to 2006 Mikhail worked in the biotech industry developing chemical tools for genomics and proteomics. His current focus is on developing methods of fortification of essential nutrients to protect against diseases of aging and age-related oxidative stress. Dr. Mikhail Shchepinov received a MS in chemistry and biotechnology from Mendeleev Institute of Chemical Technology, Moscow, USSR and a PhD in bioorganic chemistry from the Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry. |
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Dr. Lusine Danielyan
Lusine Danielyan, M.D., Assistant Professor, is Head of the Laboratory of Cellular/Molecular Pharmacology at the Department of Clinical Pharmacology, University Hospital of Tuebingen and faculty member in Pharmacology at the University of Tuebingen, Germany. She earned her MD at the University of Tuebingen. Her current research interests include the exploration of mechanisms and efficacy of neuroprotection provided by several agents including growth factors and therapeutic cells in age related neurodegenerative disorders. Together with her collaborators, especially W.H. Frey II, Ph.D., she discovered and patented that therapeutic cells, including adult stem cells, immune cells and genetically-engineered cells, can be delivered and targeted to the brain using the noninvasive intranasal delivery method. This discovery was recognized with awards from several national and international funding and government agencies, and to date has been confirmed by more than 10 other research groups worldwide to be efficacious in a variety of experimental models of neurologic disorders including multiple sclerosis, neonatal hypoxia, glioma, Parkinson’s and Huntington’s diseases, stroke and spinal cord injury. |
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Dr. Dongsheng Cai
Dongsheng Cai, MD, PhD, is a professor in pharmacology and also holds Young Men Division endowed chair in physiology at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, USA. Dr. Cai received many awards and honors, for example, he is a recipient of Joseph A. Pignolo Award in Aging Research from University of Pennsylvania, Vincent Cristofalo Rising-Star Award from American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR), and Outstanding Scientific Achievement Award (Lilly Award) from The Obesity Society (TOS). The research in Dongsheng Cai’s lab focuses on studying the neural and hypothalamic mechanisms of metabolic syndrome and systemic aging. |
Dr. Itzhaki
Dr. Itzhaki’s first degree was in physics, her second was an MSc in Biophysics - being awarded one of the only two studentships then available in that subject - and finally a PhD in Biophysics - all London University degrees. She then moved to Cambridge, to the Department of Radiotherapeutics, holding a Beit Memorial Fellowship for Medical Research and the Wheldale-Onslow Memorial Fellowship at Newnham College. One paper she published there became a "citation classic". Her next move was to Manchester where she worked initially in the Paterson Laboratories (cancer research), and subsequently in the University of Manchester.
Her research topics have been diverse, most recently Alzheimer's disease, in particular, the role of viruses acting with a genetic factor in dementia, and the role of the genetic factor in determining outcome of infection by pathogens. For the virus work, she won an Investigator award from The Lancet, a Wellcome Trust Innovative award, two Olympus Foundation awards, an Alzheimer's Research Forum award and a Manchester City Council award. She is currently an emeritus professor at Manchester University, living in Oxford, where she has held an honorary senior research fellowship at the university of Oxford for the last 4 years.
Dr. Itzhaki’s first degree was in physics, her second was an MSc in Biophysics - being awarded one of the only two studentships then available in that subject - and finally a PhD in Biophysics - all London University degrees. She then moved to Cambridge, to the Department of Radiotherapeutics, holding a Beit Memorial Fellowship for Medical Research and the Wheldale-Onslow Memorial Fellowship at Newnham College. One paper she published there became a "citation classic". Her next move was to Manchester where she worked initially in the Paterson Laboratories (cancer research), and subsequently in the University of Manchester.
Her research topics have been diverse, most recently Alzheimer's disease, in particular, the role of viruses acting with a genetic factor in dementia, and the role of the genetic factor in determining outcome of infection by pathogens. For the virus work, she won an Investigator award from The Lancet, a Wellcome Trust Innovative award, two Olympus Foundation awards, an Alzheimer's Research Forum award and a Manchester City Council award. She is currently an emeritus professor at Manchester University, living in Oxford, where she has held an honorary senior research fellowship at the university of Oxford for the last 4 years.
Dr. Paul D. Robbins
Paul D. Robbins, Ph.D. is the Associate Director of the Medical Discovery Team on Aging and the Institute on the Biology of Aging and Metabolism (iBAM) and Professor of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics at the University of Minnesota Medical School.
Before moving to the University of Minnesota, Dr. Robbins was a Professor of Molecular Medicine at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) in Jupiter, Florida and Director of the TSRI Center on Aging. Previously he was a Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Director of Basic Research for the Molecular Medicine Institute and Co-Director of the Paul Wellstone Cooperative Muscular Research Center at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine as well as Interim Director of Molecular & Cellular Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. He received his B.A. from Haverford College, his Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley and worked as a post-doctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Richard Mulligan at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research at MIT.
Dr. Robbins has co-authored over 340 peer-reviewed manuscripts and 185 book chapters and reviews with a H-index of 118 and has edited four books. Dr. Robbins’ current research is focused on developing therapeutic approaches, including gene therapy, small molecules and stem cells, to treat age-related diseases.
Paul D. Robbins, Ph.D. is the Associate Director of the Medical Discovery Team on Aging and the Institute on the Biology of Aging and Metabolism (iBAM) and Professor of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics at the University of Minnesota Medical School.
Before moving to the University of Minnesota, Dr. Robbins was a Professor of Molecular Medicine at The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI) in Jupiter, Florida and Director of the TSRI Center on Aging. Previously he was a Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Director of Basic Research for the Molecular Medicine Institute and Co-Director of the Paul Wellstone Cooperative Muscular Research Center at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine as well as Interim Director of Molecular & Cellular Oncology at the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute. He received his B.A. from Haverford College, his Ph.D. from the University of California at Berkeley and worked as a post-doctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Richard Mulligan at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research at MIT.
Dr. Robbins has co-authored over 340 peer-reviewed manuscripts and 185 book chapters and reviews with a H-index of 118 and has edited four books. Dr. Robbins’ current research is focused on developing therapeutic approaches, including gene therapy, small molecules and stem cells, to treat age-related diseases.
Dr. Laura Niedernhofer
Laura Niedernhofer, M.D., Ph.D., is the director of the Institute on the Biology of Aging & Metabolism (iBAM) at the University of Minnesota. Internationally recognized as an expert in the molecular and cellular basis of aging, Dr. Niedernhofer’s expertise is in how cellular senescence is regulated as well as the role of DNA repair during aging.
Prior to joining the University of Minnesota, Dr. Niedernhofer was at the Scripps Research Institute in Florida. She has trained at MIT, Duke, Vanderbilt and Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands. This year she was awarded a Glenn Award for Aging Research and the Vincent Cristofolo Rising Star Award in Aging Research from the American Federation for Aging Research.
Laura Niedernhofer, M.D., Ph.D., is the director of the Institute on the Biology of Aging & Metabolism (iBAM) at the University of Minnesota. Internationally recognized as an expert in the molecular and cellular basis of aging, Dr. Niedernhofer’s expertise is in how cellular senescence is regulated as well as the role of DNA repair during aging.
Prior to joining the University of Minnesota, Dr. Niedernhofer was at the Scripps Research Institute in Florida. She has trained at MIT, Duke, Vanderbilt and Erasmus Medical Center in the Netherlands. This year she was awarded a Glenn Award for Aging Research and the Vincent Cristofolo Rising Star Award in Aging Research from the American Federation for Aging Research.
Dr. Nir Barzilai
Dr. Barzilai is a chaired Professor of Medicine and Genetics and Director of the biggest Center in the world to study the Biology of Aging. He is the recipient of an NIH Merit Award aiming to extend the healthy life span in rodents by biological interventions. He also studies families of centenarians that have provided genetic/biological insights on the protection against aging. Several drugs are developed based, in part, on these paradigm-changing studies.
Dr. Barzilai is a recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the recipient of the 2010 Irving S. Wright Award of Distinction in Aging Research and is the 2018 recipient of the IPSEN Longevity award. He is leading the TAME (Targeting/Taming Aging with Metformin) multi central study to prove that concept that multi morbidities of aging can be delayed in humans and change the FDA indications to allow for next generation interventions. He is a founder of CohBar Inc. (now public company) and Medical Advisor for Life Biosciences.
Dr. Barzilai is a chaired Professor of Medicine and Genetics and Director of the biggest Center in the world to study the Biology of Aging. He is the recipient of an NIH Merit Award aiming to extend the healthy life span in rodents by biological interventions. He also studies families of centenarians that have provided genetic/biological insights on the protection against aging. Several drugs are developed based, in part, on these paradigm-changing studies.
Dr. Barzilai is a recipient of numerous prestigious awards, including the recipient of the 2010 Irving S. Wright Award of Distinction in Aging Research and is the 2018 recipient of the IPSEN Longevity award. He is leading the TAME (Targeting/Taming Aging with Metformin) multi central study to prove that concept that multi morbidities of aging can be delayed in humans and change the FDA indications to allow for next generation interventions. He is a founder of CohBar Inc. (now public company) and Medical Advisor for Life Biosciences.
Dr. Dmitry Bulavin
Dmitry Bulavin received his MD and PhD from the Medical Academy (St. Petersburg, Russia). He carried out his postdoctoral training at the National Cancer Institute (NIH, USA) where he established a role of p38 MAPK in negative regulation of tumorigenesis and the key role of a phosphatase Wip1 as a potent human oncogene; both directions are now widely pursued in the cancer field.
After establishing his lab in 2004 in IMCB (Singapore), he continued interrogating the role of Wip1 phosphatase in cancer but also in aging. His academic research is primarily in the field of cancer and aging molecular biology, with particular emphasis on the role of DNA damage and stress response signaling. Through generation and detailed analysis of multiple mouse models, his research established a key role of Wip1 phosphatase and p38 MAP kinase in several pathological conditions and in aging. Since joining IRCAN in 2014 (Nice, France), his research is focusing on the role of senescence in numerous pathological conditions including aging. In his talk, Dr.Bulavin will present the analysis of 2 novel knock-in mouse models that allow to track and selectively eliminate senescent cells. He will further discuss how this knowledge could help to improve an anti-aging research.
Dmitry Bulavin received his MD and PhD from the Medical Academy (St. Petersburg, Russia). He carried out his postdoctoral training at the National Cancer Institute (NIH, USA) where he established a role of p38 MAPK in negative regulation of tumorigenesis and the key role of a phosphatase Wip1 as a potent human oncogene; both directions are now widely pursued in the cancer field.
After establishing his lab in 2004 in IMCB (Singapore), he continued interrogating the role of Wip1 phosphatase in cancer but also in aging. His academic research is primarily in the field of cancer and aging molecular biology, with particular emphasis on the role of DNA damage and stress response signaling. Through generation and detailed analysis of multiple mouse models, his research established a key role of Wip1 phosphatase and p38 MAP kinase in several pathological conditions and in aging. Since joining IRCAN in 2014 (Nice, France), his research is focusing on the role of senescence in numerous pathological conditions including aging. In his talk, Dr.Bulavin will present the analysis of 2 novel knock-in mouse models that allow to track and selectively eliminate senescent cells. He will further discuss how this knowledge could help to improve an anti-aging research.
Dr. Alvaro Mata
Alvaro Mata is Professor in Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering in the School of Engineering and Materials Science at Queen Mary University of London. His research focuses on integrating supramolecular chemistry and engineering principles to investigate biological processes and develop new tools to build active materials with biomolecules.
His work has been featured by The Telegraph, Sky News, The Times, and BBC Radio 5. He holds several patents or patent applications; publications in journals including Science, Nature Chemistry, and Nature Materials; and awards such as the Baxter Early Career Award, a Ramon y Cajal Award, and an ERC Staring Grant.
Alvaro Mata is Professor in Biomaterials and Biomedical Engineering in the School of Engineering and Materials Science at Queen Mary University of London. His research focuses on integrating supramolecular chemistry and engineering principles to investigate biological processes and develop new tools to build active materials with biomolecules.
His work has been featured by The Telegraph, Sky News, The Times, and BBC Radio 5. He holds several patents or patent applications; publications in journals including Science, Nature Chemistry, and Nature Materials; and awards such as the Baxter Early Career Award, a Ramon y Cajal Award, and an ERC Staring Grant.
Dr. Daria Khaltourina
Daria Khaltourina is the Head of Department of Risk Factor Prevention of Federal Research Institute for Health Organization and Informatics of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. She is also a Board Member of the International Longevity Alliance.
Daria received Ph.D. in anthropology, and after a few years of academic career she gradually moved into the area of public health advocacy.
She works currently at promoting regulation beneficial for biomedical R&D, especially in the area of curing and preventing the pathologies of aging. Daria is currently a coordinator of "Healthy Longevity" segment of the Russian National Technological Initiative.
Daria worked with a team of scientists at promoting aging and aging-related diseases into the International Classification of Disease of the World Health Organization.
Daria Khaltourina is the Head of Department of Risk Factor Prevention of Federal Research Institute for Health Organization and Informatics of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation. She is also a Board Member of the International Longevity Alliance.
Daria received Ph.D. in anthropology, and after a few years of academic career she gradually moved into the area of public health advocacy.
She works currently at promoting regulation beneficial for biomedical R&D, especially in the area of curing and preventing the pathologies of aging. Daria is currently a coordinator of "Healthy Longevity" segment of the Russian National Technological Initiative.
Daria worked with a team of scientists at promoting aging and aging-related diseases into the International Classification of Disease of the World Health Organization.
Dr. Amutha Boominathan
Dr. Boominathan is the Group Lead for the MitoSENS program at SENS Research Foundation (SRF), Mountain View, California. She obtained her PhD in Biochemistry from National Chemical Laboratory, India and subsequently had her postdoctoral training at University of Pennsylvania and Rutgers University. As an American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellow, she studied protein import into mitochondria, Fe-S cluster biosynthesis and mechanisms of fusion and fission in mitochondria. With more than 18 years of experience in mitochondrial biogenesis, she leads a highly motivated team of researchers at SRF in furthering our understanding and developing therapies for myopathies from mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations.
Both inherited and acquired mutations in mtDNA are the cause for several diseases including LHON, Leigh's syndrome, MELAS, MEERF and NARP. mtDNA mutations also accumulate with age and accompany a progressive decline in organelle function. The goal of the Boominathan lab is to express functional copies of the mtDNA genes from the nucleus via allotopic expression and ultimately develop tangible therapies for mitochondrial dysfunction.
Dr. Boominathan is the Group Lead for the MitoSENS program at SENS Research Foundation (SRF), Mountain View, California. She obtained her PhD in Biochemistry from National Chemical Laboratory, India and subsequently had her postdoctoral training at University of Pennsylvania and Rutgers University. As an American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellow, she studied protein import into mitochondria, Fe-S cluster biosynthesis and mechanisms of fusion and fission in mitochondria. With more than 18 years of experience in mitochondrial biogenesis, she leads a highly motivated team of researchers at SRF in furthering our understanding and developing therapies for myopathies from mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutations.
Both inherited and acquired mutations in mtDNA are the cause for several diseases including LHON, Leigh's syndrome, MELAS, MEERF and NARP. mtDNA mutations also accumulate with age and accompany a progressive decline in organelle function. The goal of the Boominathan lab is to express functional copies of the mtDNA genes from the nucleus via allotopic expression and ultimately develop tangible therapies for mitochondrial dysfunction.
Dr. Andrei Gudkov
Andrei Gudkov is professor of oncology, Sr. Vice President for Research Technology and Innovation and Chair of the Department of Cell Stress Biology Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center (Buffalo, NY). He was graduated from Moscow State University and received his academic degrees working at National Cancer Center in Moscow, former USSR.
Before taking his current position, he was on faculty of Department of Genetics at University of Illinois Chicago (1990-2001) and then chaired the Department of Molecular Genetics at Cleveland Clinic (2001-2007). His research interests include cancer and radiation biology, innate immunity and inflammation, endogenous viruses, p53, and aging.
Dr. Gudkov founded biotech companies Cleveland Biolabs, Incuron, Oncotartis, Everon Biosciences and Genome Protection that develop anticancer, anti-aging and radioprotective drugs based on his inventions. His antiaging research is focused on understanding the role of “retrobiome” (a composition of products of reverse transcription in mammalian genomes) and its pharmacological and immunotherapeutic control.
Andrei Gudkov is professor of oncology, Sr. Vice President for Research Technology and Innovation and Chair of the Department of Cell Stress Biology Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center (Buffalo, NY). He was graduated from Moscow State University and received his academic degrees working at National Cancer Center in Moscow, former USSR.
Before taking his current position, he was on faculty of Department of Genetics at University of Illinois Chicago (1990-2001) and then chaired the Department of Molecular Genetics at Cleveland Clinic (2001-2007). His research interests include cancer and radiation biology, innate immunity and inflammation, endogenous viruses, p53, and aging.
Dr. Gudkov founded biotech companies Cleveland Biolabs, Incuron, Oncotartis, Everon Biosciences and Genome Protection that develop anticancer, anti-aging and radioprotective drugs based on his inventions. His antiaging research is focused on understanding the role of “retrobiome” (a composition of products of reverse transcription in mammalian genomes) and its pharmacological and immunotherapeutic control.
Dr. Nikolay Zak
Dr. Nikolay Zak studied obtained his Masters in Economics at New Economic School and his Ph.D. in Mathematics at Moscow State University. He is also a highly accomplished glassblower.
Dr. Nikolay Zak studied obtained his Masters in Economics at New Economic School and his Ph.D. in Mathematics at Moscow State University. He is also a highly accomplished glassblower.
Dr. Evan Snyder
Evan Y. Snyder earned his M.D. and Ph.D. (in neuroscience) from the University of Pennsylvania in 1980 as a member of NIH's Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP). He had also studied psychology and linguistics at the University of Oxford. After moving to Boston, he completed residencies in pediatrics and neurology as well as a clinical fellowship in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at Children's Hospital-Boston, Harvard Medical School. In 1989, he became an attending physician in the Department of Pediatrics (Division of Newborn Medicine) and Department of Neurology at Children's Hospital-Boston, Harvard Medical School. From 1985-1991, he conducted postdoctoral research as a fellow in the Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School.
In 1992, Dr. Snyder was appointed an instructor in neurology (neonatology) at Harvard Medical School and was promoted to assistant professor in 1996.
In 2003, Dr. Snyder was recruited to Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute as Professor and Director of the Program in Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology. He then inaugurated the Stem Cell Research Center (serving as its founding director) and initiated the Southern California Stem Cell Consortium. Dr. Snyder is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP). He also received training in Philosophy and Linguistics at Oxford University.
Evan Y. Snyder earned his M.D. and Ph.D. (in neuroscience) from the University of Pennsylvania in 1980 as a member of NIH's Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP). He had also studied psychology and linguistics at the University of Oxford. After moving to Boston, he completed residencies in pediatrics and neurology as well as a clinical fellowship in Neonatal-Perinatal Medicine at Children's Hospital-Boston, Harvard Medical School. In 1989, he became an attending physician in the Department of Pediatrics (Division of Newborn Medicine) and Department of Neurology at Children's Hospital-Boston, Harvard Medical School. From 1985-1991, he conducted postdoctoral research as a fellow in the Department of Genetics, Harvard Medical School.
In 1992, Dr. Snyder was appointed an instructor in neurology (neonatology) at Harvard Medical School and was promoted to assistant professor in 1996.
In 2003, Dr. Snyder was recruited to Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute as Professor and Director of the Program in Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology. He then inaugurated the Stem Cell Research Center (serving as its founding director) and initiated the Southern California Stem Cell Consortium. Dr. Snyder is a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FAAP). He also received training in Philosophy and Linguistics at Oxford University.
Dr. Mike West
Michael D. West, Ph.D., is the founder and CEO of AgeX Therapeutics, Inc. He received his Ph.D. from Baylor College of Medicine in 1989 concentrating on the biology of cellular ageing.
He has focused his academic and business career on the application of developmental biology to age-related degenerative disease. He was the founder and first CEO of Geron Corporation (Nasdaq: GERN), and from 1992 to 1998, he held various positions, including CEO, Director, and Vice President. From 1998 to 2007, Dr West held positions as CEO, President, and Chief Scientific Officer at Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (ACT), which was eventually acquired by Astellas Pharma, Inc. From 2007 to 2018, he was CEO/Co-CEO of BioTime, Inc. (NYSE American: BTX).
Michael D. West, Ph.D., is the founder and CEO of AgeX Therapeutics, Inc. He received his Ph.D. from Baylor College of Medicine in 1989 concentrating on the biology of cellular ageing.
He has focused his academic and business career on the application of developmental biology to age-related degenerative disease. He was the founder and first CEO of Geron Corporation (Nasdaq: GERN), and from 1992 to 1998, he held various positions, including CEO, Director, and Vice President. From 1998 to 2007, Dr West held positions as CEO, President, and Chief Scientific Officer at Advanced Cell Technology, Inc. (ACT), which was eventually acquired by Astellas Pharma, Inc. From 2007 to 2018, he was CEO/Co-CEO of BioTime, Inc. (NYSE American: BTX).
Daniil Polykovskiy
Daniil is a Senior Research Scientist at Insilico Medicine,Inc, a Rockville-based bioinformatics company focused on applying deep learning and advanced signalling pathway activation analysis to biomarker discovery, drug discovery and drug repurposing for ageing and age-related diseases.
He is also a part of the Bayesian Methods Research Group, which is carrying out research in deep learning, stochastic optimization, tensor decompositions and scalable variational inference. His primary research interests include generative models, natural language processing, and Bayesian methods. Daniil is involved in multiple deep learning projects at Insilico Medicine, working on the drug discovery engine. He a co-creator and a lecturer of the Bayesian Methods for Machine Learning course on Coursera, and a co-author and a lecturer of the Neural Networks for Machine Learning course at the Lomonosov Moscow State University.
Daniil is a Senior Research Scientist at Insilico Medicine,Inc, a Rockville-based bioinformatics company focused on applying deep learning and advanced signalling pathway activation analysis to biomarker discovery, drug discovery and drug repurposing for ageing and age-related diseases.
He is also a part of the Bayesian Methods Research Group, which is carrying out research in deep learning, stochastic optimization, tensor decompositions and scalable variational inference. His primary research interests include generative models, natural language processing, and Bayesian methods. Daniil is involved in multiple deep learning projects at Insilico Medicine, working on the drug discovery engine. He a co-creator and a lecturer of the Bayesian Methods for Machine Learning course on Coursera, and a co-author and a lecturer of the Neural Networks for Machine Learning course at the Lomonosov Moscow State University.
Dr. Doris Lambracht-Washington
Doris Lambracht-Washington PhD, Assistant Professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas earned her masters and PhD degrees from the Leibnitz University and Medical School in Hannover Germany. After postdoctoral training in the Transplantation Laboratory of the Medical School Hannover and the Department of Immunology at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, she joined in 2009 the team of Dr. Roger N. Rosenberg in the Department of Neurology & Neurotherapeutics to analyze the immune responses using a DNA Aβ42 vaccine as possible immunotherapy to prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Results from these studies showed that DNA vaccination resulted in a non-inflammatory response while Aβ42 peptide immunization led to inflammatory responses in the mouse models.
In their recent work, this group was able to show that the vaccine not only reduced the build-up of senile plaques in the brain of an AD mouse model, but led also to significantly reduced tau pathology, the second hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease progression. After supporting results in mice, rabbits, and monkeys, the next aim is to test the DNA Aβ42 vaccine in a first-in-human Phase I clinical trial with early AD patients. There is no treatment for Alzheimer's disease to date. This DNA Aβ42 vaccine has not been tested in humans and deserves its day in court.
Doris Lambracht-Washington PhD, Assistant Professor at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, Texas earned her masters and PhD degrees from the Leibnitz University and Medical School in Hannover Germany. After postdoctoral training in the Transplantation Laboratory of the Medical School Hannover and the Department of Immunology at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, she joined in 2009 the team of Dr. Roger N. Rosenberg in the Department of Neurology & Neurotherapeutics to analyze the immune responses using a DNA Aβ42 vaccine as possible immunotherapy to prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. Results from these studies showed that DNA vaccination resulted in a non-inflammatory response while Aβ42 peptide immunization led to inflammatory responses in the mouse models.
In their recent work, this group was able to show that the vaccine not only reduced the build-up of senile plaques in the brain of an AD mouse model, but led also to significantly reduced tau pathology, the second hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease progression. After supporting results in mice, rabbits, and monkeys, the next aim is to test the DNA Aβ42 vaccine in a first-in-human Phase I clinical trial with early AD patients. There is no treatment for Alzheimer's disease to date. This DNA Aβ42 vaccine has not been tested in humans and deserves its day in court.
Dr. Janko Nikolich-Zugich
Janko Nikolich-Zugich, a Bowman Professor and Head of the Department of Immunobiology and Co-Director at the University of Arizona Center on Aging at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tuscon, has principal interests of understanding (i) basic mechanisms of immunity and how these mechanisms decline and deteriorate with age to erode protective immunity against infection, including persistent infections such as those with the cytomegalovirus (CMV); and (ii) how we can devise methods to correct or ameliorate immune dysfunction by means of new vaccines, immunomodulatory and metabolic intervention and/or immune rejuvenation. He uses infectious disease models, including biodefense and emerging infection (cat. A-C) agents to probe immune defense, homeostasis, T-cell repertoire and memory in the mouse, non-human primate and human models.
His other interest is longevity and Healthspan modulation by nutritional and metabolic intervention. The immune system is particularly sensitive to nutrient deprivation if faced with acute infection, and he is studying whether and how different longevity extension treatments can improve function of the immune system while still providing longevity/healthspan benefit.
He has been interested in the impact of inflammation on immune responses in adult and aging organisms for a long time, and has over 10-year record of using WNV and other RNA viruses to dissect this impact.
Janko Nikolich-Zugich, a Bowman Professor and Head of the Department of Immunobiology and Co-Director at the University of Arizona Center on Aging at the University of Arizona College of Medicine – Tuscon, has principal interests of understanding (i) basic mechanisms of immunity and how these mechanisms decline and deteriorate with age to erode protective immunity against infection, including persistent infections such as those with the cytomegalovirus (CMV); and (ii) how we can devise methods to correct or ameliorate immune dysfunction by means of new vaccines, immunomodulatory and metabolic intervention and/or immune rejuvenation. He uses infectious disease models, including biodefense and emerging infection (cat. A-C) agents to probe immune defense, homeostasis, T-cell repertoire and memory in the mouse, non-human primate and human models.
His other interest is longevity and Healthspan modulation by nutritional and metabolic intervention. The immune system is particularly sensitive to nutrient deprivation if faced with acute infection, and he is studying whether and how different longevity extension treatments can improve function of the immune system while still providing longevity/healthspan benefit.
He has been interested in the impact of inflammation on immune responses in adult and aging organisms for a long time, and has over 10-year record of using WNV and other RNA viruses to dissect this impact.
Dr. Vadim Gladyshev
Vadim Gladyshev is a Professor of Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Director of the Center for Redox Medicine, and Associate Member of the Broad Institute. He obtained all his degrees from Moscow State University, followed by postdoc training at the National Institutes of Health and a first faculty position at University of Nebraska. He has a long-term interest in understanding the nature of aging and mechanisms of lifespan control. His research uses a variety of model organisms and applies high-throughput approaches to achieve systems level understanding of the aging process and develop interventions that extend lifespan.
Vadim Gladyshev is a Professor of Medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Director of the Center for Redox Medicine, and Associate Member of the Broad Institute. He obtained all his degrees from Moscow State University, followed by postdoc training at the National Institutes of Health and a first faculty position at University of Nebraska. He has a long-term interest in understanding the nature of aging and mechanisms of lifespan control. His research uses a variety of model organisms and applies high-throughput approaches to achieve systems level understanding of the aging process and develop interventions that extend lifespan.
Dr. Adelaida Palla
Adelaida Palla is a Senior Research Scientist at Stanford University working in Dr. Helen Blau’s lab. She obtained her PhD in the Autonoma University of Madrid, Spain in Dr. Manuel Serrano’s lab where she focused on pluripotency genes in reprogramming and reactivation of these genes in cancer. Currently she works on elucidating novel targets to stimulate muscle stem cells to promote skeletal muscle regeneration and strength in the aged. Her key discoveries include stimulating the Prostaglandin E2 pathway to promote muscle regeneration.
Adelaida Palla is a Senior Research Scientist at Stanford University working in Dr. Helen Blau’s lab. She obtained her PhD in the Autonoma University of Madrid, Spain in Dr. Manuel Serrano’s lab where she focused on pluripotency genes in reprogramming and reactivation of these genes in cancer. Currently she works on elucidating novel targets to stimulate muscle stem cells to promote skeletal muscle regeneration and strength in the aged. Her key discoveries include stimulating the Prostaglandin E2 pathway to promote muscle regeneration.
Yuri Deigin
Founder and CEO of Youthereum Genetics, VP of the Foundation for Support of Scientific Research "Science for Life Extension".
Yuri's primary area of expertise lies in the field of drug discovery and development, particularly in translation and commercialization of medical discoveries. Over the years, Yuri has held various roles in biotech startups where he oversaw research and development of original pharmaceuticals and led fundraising efforts.
Yuri has extensive experience in working with venture funds and grant agencies. He is a mentor of start-up entrepreneurs on the formation of strategies for the protection of intellectual property and attracting venture and non-dilutive financing.
Since 2013 Yuri serves as a vice-president of the "Science for Life Extension" non-profit foundation whose goal is the popularization of the fight against age-related diseases. To further this cause, Yuri frequently blogs, speaks, writes, and participates in various TV and radio shows.
Founder and CEO of Youthereum Genetics, VP of the Foundation for Support of Scientific Research "Science for Life Extension".
Yuri's primary area of expertise lies in the field of drug discovery and development, particularly in translation and commercialization of medical discoveries. Over the years, Yuri has held various roles in biotech startups where he oversaw research and development of original pharmaceuticals and led fundraising efforts.
Yuri has extensive experience in working with venture funds and grant agencies. He is a mentor of start-up entrepreneurs on the formation of strategies for the protection of intellectual property and attracting venture and non-dilutive financing.
Since 2013 Yuri serves as a vice-president of the "Science for Life Extension" non-profit foundation whose goal is the popularization of the fight against age-related diseases. To further this cause, Yuri frequently blogs, speaks, writes, and participates in various TV and radio shows.
Dr. Aaron Wolfe
Aaron Wolfe is COO and Partner at Ichor Therapeutics, a (bio)pharmaceutical drug discovery company focused on age-related disease and pathways of aging.
Prior to joining Ichor, Dr. Wolfe was co-founder and CEO at Finger Lakes Bio, a protein engineering company specializing in biophysical assay development for drug discovery. Dr. Wolfe holds a PhD in structural biology, biophysics, and biochemistry from Syracuse University, and a Bachelor’s of Science in biotechnology from SUNY ESF.
Aaron Wolfe is COO and Partner at Ichor Therapeutics, a (bio)pharmaceutical drug discovery company focused on age-related disease and pathways of aging.
Prior to joining Ichor, Dr. Wolfe was co-founder and CEO at Finger Lakes Bio, a protein engineering company specializing in biophysical assay development for drug discovery. Dr. Wolfe holds a PhD in structural biology, biophysics, and biochemistry from Syracuse University, and a Bachelor’s of Science in biotechnology from SUNY ESF.
Dr. Tim Cash
Tim Cash received his bachelor’s degree in Biology and Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Pennsylvania. His doctoral thesis and early work focused on cellular oxygen sensing and the molecular basis of rare familial cancer susceptibility syndromes. Afterwards, he began a postdoctoral fellowship at the Spanish National Cancer Center in the laboratory of Manuel Serrano, carrying out research in diverse fields such as human longevity, metabolism, diabetes, and cancer stem cells. Tim joined Senolytic Therapeutics as the CSO upon its founding in 2017 to direct the research and development programs of the company.
At the UA2019 meeting, Tim will discuss the diverse programs Senolytic Therapeutics currently has underway to develop new strategies to modify the biology of senescent cells and harness the immune system for their effective removal.
Tim Cash received his bachelor’s degree in Biology and Ph.D. in Cellular and Molecular Biology from the University of Pennsylvania. His doctoral thesis and early work focused on cellular oxygen sensing and the molecular basis of rare familial cancer susceptibility syndromes. Afterwards, he began a postdoctoral fellowship at the Spanish National Cancer Center in the laboratory of Manuel Serrano, carrying out research in diverse fields such as human longevity, metabolism, diabetes, and cancer stem cells. Tim joined Senolytic Therapeutics as the CSO upon its founding in 2017 to direct the research and development programs of the company.
At the UA2019 meeting, Tim will discuss the diverse programs Senolytic Therapeutics currently has underway to develop new strategies to modify the biology of senescent cells and harness the immune system for their effective removal.