2009

AFAR Research Grant Program


Chengh

Heng-Jie Cheng, MD, PhD

Assistant Professor, Wake Forest University Health Sciences

Upregulation of Beta3-Adrenoceptors: A New Mechanism For Age-Dependent Decline in Cardiac Function and Beta-Adrenergic Reserve

Heart disease is the number one killer and major cause of disability among Americans. Part of the problem with an aging heart is that heart cells gradually decrease their ability to contract. Dr. Cheng will test the idea that the loss of heart contractility is due to a molecule which appears with increasing frequency on the surface of aging heart cells. If true, then pharmaceutically blocking the activity of this molecule could preserve heart function in later life, thus saving lives and preserving health.

More 2009 Recipients of this Grant

Joseph A. Baur, PhD

Does Mitochondrial Biogenesis Regulate Longevity?

Stephanie J. Bryant, PhD

Elucidating the Role of Biomechanical Factors in Age-related Changes in Cartilage: A Possible Risk Factor for Developing Osteoarthritis

Stephanie J. Bryant, PhD
Xin Chen, PhD

Histone Turnover During Stem Cell Homeostasis and Aging

Xin Chen, PhD
Audrey L. Duarte, PhD

The Effects of Aging on Associative Memory

Audrey L. Duarte, PhD
Jeffrey L. Dudycha, PhD

The Genetic Basis for the Evolutionary Divergence of Aging

Jeffrey L. Dudycha, PhD
Martin L. Duennwald, PhD

The Systems Biology of Age-Dependent Protein Misfolding

Martin L. Duennwald, PhD
Susan A. Krum, PhD

Gene Regulation by Estrogen in Adipose of Aging Bone

Susan A. Krum, PhD
Jonathan H. Lin, MD

Cellular Responses to Chronic Protein Misfolding

Jonathan H. Lin, MD
Goldis Malek, PhD

Osteopontin Regulation of Choroidal Neovascular Fibrosis through Macrophages

Goldis Malek, PhD
James R. Mitchell, PhD

Testing Small Molecule Inhibitors of GH/IGF-1 Receptor Signaling as Dietary Restriction Mimetics Against Acute Stress in vivo

James R. Mitchell, PhD
Raul Mostoslavsky, MD, PhD

SIRT6, a Chromatin Regulator of Glucose Homeostasis and Genomic Stability

Raul Mostoslavsky, MD, PhD
Nicolas Rohleder, PhD

Determinants and Consequences of the Acute Stress-induced Inflammatory Response in Human Aging

David W. Walker, PhD

Investigating the Life-extending Mechanisms of Apolipoprotein D: An Evolutionary Conserved Modulator of Oxidative Stress and Aging

Shuanhu (Joe) Zhou, PhD

The Effects of Niche on Mesenchymal Stem Cells During Human Skeletal Aging