Anne Brunet, PhD

The Michele and Timothy Barakett Professor of Genetics at Stanford University

Dr. Brunet employed a unique multi-organismal approach to investigate the ability of enzymes to regulate genes implicated in aging and has identified genes and pathways critical for maintaining neural stem cells that may help preserve brain function during aging. She noted:

“Using epigenetics, we and others have made the discovery that when you affect the specific enzymes, the specific molecules that are very important to make the cell’s DNA either accessible to do its job or inaccessible, this influences the entire lifespan of the organism. What it suggests is that regulating the expression of the DNA matters a lot.”

Andrew Dillin, PhD

Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigator and the Thomas and Stacey Siebel Distinguished Chair in Stem Cell Research at the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of California, Berkeley

Dr. Dillin explored the ability of organisms to sustain proper protein production processes essential to maintaining cellular structure and function in aging. Here’s what he shared of his experience:

“When we had first discovered that modulating mitochondrial function [in the cell] could profoundly change the lifespan of an organism, I thought every cell was going to contribute. But then it turned out that only a few cells contributed to aging, those in the nervous system. That was one of those moments when you thought – WOW! – these few cells control the mechanism of aging through mitochondria for the entire organism. That is really powerful.”