What inspired you to pursue aging research?
Aging is one of the only conditions that impacts everyone in the world. By understanding the aging process better, we can not only improve the quality of life but also get important clues about how age-related diseases arise. During my graduate work at an aging institute in Germany, I learned about the importance of mitochondria in the aging process. Fascinated by these intricate organelles and their connection to aging, I decided to use my background in mitochondrial biology to study how mitochondria adjust their metabolism in aging and how these alterations impact the speed at which we age.
In your view, what does AFAR mean to the field, and what does it mean, for you, to receive an AFAR grant now?
The American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) is the glue that holds together the aging community. This organization has not only facilitated aging research financially through grants and training fellowships but also has fostered many interdisciplinary collaborations that have yielded fundamental and translational discoveries related to mammalian aging. I am very grateful and excited to now be part of this community, share my research and expertise in mitochondrial biology and metabolism, and learn from the experts in this field. This is a very exciting time for our research because we just discovered a new mammalian metabolite that regulates mitochondrial function. This fellowship allows me to fully focus on my science, trying to understand the role of this metabolite in aging and mitochondrial decline!
What is exciting about your research’s potential impact?
My research project centers around a newly discovered mammalian metabolite that is present in mitochondria and has the capability to shape mitochondrial metabolism. This molecule has never been studied in the context of aging (let alone many other areas of biology and disease!), and this research proposal will be the first to assess the potential to exploit this molecule and its activity to mitigate mitochondrial decline in aging.
How would you describe your research to a non-scientist?
Mitochondria are essential compartments present in almost every cell of the human body. They are critically involved in many metabolic processes that our cells need to perform in order to survive. As we age, mitochondria accumulate damage and become less efficient at performing these essential metabolic processes. This, in turn, accelerates the speed at which we age. Thus, it is critical to understand how we can preserve mitochondrial health during aging. We recently discovered a previously unknown mitochondrial metabolite that can limit mitochondrial damage and can protect them during aging. Here, we aim to study this novel molecule, how it changes with age, and how it shapes and protects mitochondrial function as we grow older.
