What inspired you to pursue aging research?
Aging is a primary risk factor for several diseases. By studying aging, we can slow disease progression, increase health span, and improve the quality of life of individuals across the country.
In your view, what does AFAR mean to the field, and what does it mean, for you, to receive an AFAR grant now?
AFAR’s Biology of Aging grant programs have been instrumental in advancing our understanding of the basic biology of aging and age-related disease. This research can potentially help us increase the health span of people. Receiving the Glenn Foundation for Medical Research and AFAR Grant for Junior Faculty has been life-changing. This grant will allow me to kick-start my laboratory and will give me an advantage over other applicants when applying for additional funding for my laboratory.
What is exciting about your research’s potential impact?
Aged individuals fail to recover skeletal muscle mass and function after bed rest, which contrasts with young and adult humans. This is particularly important because bed rest is much more common in an aged population when compared to an adult or young population. These failed periods of recovery accelerate sarcopenia and the associated increases in morbidity and mortality.
How would you describe your research to a non-scientist?
The number of people over the age of 65 in the US is increasing. Our laboratory is interested in studying how to maintain muscle as we age, which is important for maintaining independence and a healthy metabolism. Aged individuals never fully recover muscle mass and strength after extended bed rest. Our current project uses aged animal models and pharmacological intervention to test if we can improve muscle recovery after bedrest by targeting oxylipins. Some oxylipins can damage skeletal muscle. Our goal is to reduce the oxylipins that damage muscle in an effort to improve muscle recovery following muscle disuse in aged subjects.
