What inspired you to pursue aging research?
A major breakthrough in the aging field is the discovery that we can rejuvenate cells through 'epigenetic reprogramming.' However, the established methods, which use the OSKM factors, are a double-edged sword; continuous expression can erase a cell's identity, which is a significant safety concern. The central goal now is to find a safer paradigm for rejuvenation.
My background is in developing high-throughput single-cell genomic technologies. I was inspired to enter the aging field because I realized my expertise is perfectly suited to solve this specific problem. My work focuses on creating a new single-cell platform that can screen many potential factors at once, with the ultimate goal of identifying a safe and effective method to rejuvenate cells without erasing their essential identity.
In your view, what does AFAR mean to the field, and what does it mean, for you, to receive an AFAR grant now?
For a long time, aging was not treated as a distinct field of biology. AFAR was instrumental in changing that perception by funding foundational research that helped the community understand the biology of aging and expand its impact. AFAR provides critical seed funding for high-risk, high-reward ideas that are often too early for larger funding bodies, cultivating the next generation of leaders and innovation. It also plays a vital role in bringing researchers from different disciplines together, fostering interdisciplinary approaches that are essential for making breakthroughs.
Receiving this AFAR grant is a tremendous honor and provides the validation and resources needed to launch this ambitious project, allowing me to build a novel technology from the ground up.
What is exciting about your research’s potential impact?
The most exciting impact of our method is that it makes studying DNA methylation at the single-cell level both high-throughput and affordable. This will allow us, and the broader research community, to investigate aging in complex tissues with unprecedented, cell-type-specific detail.
Furthermore, our technology is designed to be compatible with powerful pooled genetic screening strategies. This transforms our ability to move from observation to intervention. We can perform unbiased, large-scale screens to identify new 'aging modulators'—the specific genes or pathways that can slow or reverse the epigenetic clock. This creates a direct path for translating our findings into new interventions that may safely rejuvenate our bodies at a cellular level.
How would you describe your research to a non-scientist?
Think of our bodies like an orchestra, with each musician representing a different cell type—like a brain cell, a skin cell, or a heart cell. As we age, some musicians may get tired or play out of tune faster than others. Right now, we can only hear the orchestra as a whole, which hides which specific sections are struggling.
My research is about building a new technology that can listen to each individual musician, or cell, one by one. This allows us to measure the 'biological age' of thousands of individual cells at once. Using this tool, we can pinpoint which cells age the fastest and then screen for factors that can help them get back in tune. The final goal is to identify new and safe interventions that rejuvenate the specific cells in our bodies that need it most.
