Junior PI, Medical University of Vienna
Hevolution/AFAR New Investigator Awards in Aging Biology and Geroscience Research - 2022
What inspired you to pursue aging research?
My interest in aging research was sparked during my master's thesis in Professor Johannes Grillari's lab at BOKU, Vienna, while working on a project related to cellular senescence. Thereby, I had the opportunity to attend aging conferences early in my scientific career and was fascinated by the diversity of research topics studied in the geroscience field.
In your view, what does AFAR mean to the field, and what does it mean for you to receive an AFAR grant now?
AFAR represents an essential and well-reputed funding agency for many colleagues in the US. In Austria, we, unfortunately, lack specific funding for geroscience. I am very proud and grateful to be among the first international researchers to receive the Hevolution/AFAR New Investigator Awards in Aging Biology and Geroscience Research, significantly supporting my ongoing research.
What is exciting about your research’s potential impact?
RNA modifications are a relatively new topic in biomedical science and are currently primarily studied in the context of human diseases and cancer. Very little is known about the role of RNA modifications in cellular and organismal aging or in other species than humans and yeast. Thus, the potential for novel and exciting discoveries is enormous, which might ultimately lead to the development of new therapies targeting RNA modifications.
How would you describe your research to a non-scientist?
My laboratory studies changes in the production of new proteins during aging, using tiny roundworms and cells from different human tissues for our research. We are particularly interested in naturally occurring chemical modifications of RNA, which can significantly influence the speed and accuracy of protein synthesis. By restoring youthful modification patterns, we hope to improve overall health in older individuals.
