Single gene mutagenesis is a powerful method for dissecting complex biological phenomena such as
aging. It has been used with great success in developmental biology. One advantage, for aging
research in particular, is that it does not require detailed knowledge of the mechanisms that control
life span. The identification of single gene mutations...
Senior and New Scholars Awards for Brown University
Dr. Stephen Helfand
Brown University
2001 senior Scholar Award in aging
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Dr. Alexander S. Brodsky
Brown University
2007 new Scholar Award in aging
The global molecular changes that change during aging remain relatively unknown. Cells often react to their environment by modulating, increasing or decreasing, the level of expression of specific genes. Recent studies suggest that older animals have very different patterns of gene expression than younger animals. We are interested in trying to...
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Dr. Marc Tatar
Brown University
2000 new Scholar Award in aging
Senescence is the result of deteriorated somatic function that leads to age-dependent increase of mortality rate. Senescence is not an evolutionary adaptation, but its rate of progress can be subject to adaptive selection, as must be the case given ubiquitous species variation for longevity. Remarkably, the potential rate of senescence can also... |
Dr. John M. Sedivy
Brown University
2007 senior Scholar Award in aging
Aging is characterized by a gradual functional decline of most organ systems. At the cellular level, virtually all somatic cells possess a limited proliferative lifespan after which they enter into a terminal growth arrest known as cellular senescence. Telomeres are specialized structures found at the ends of our chromosomes to protect them from...
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Dr. Richard N. Freiman
Brown University
2006 new Scholar Award in aging
Proper organ development and maintenance is often accomplished through multiple cell types within a tissue that express distinct gene products and collectively support common functions. For example, the mammalian testis is composed of male germ cells (the gametes) and supporting somatic cells that together promote a highly regulated series of...
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Dr. Marc Tatar
Brown University
2004 senior Scholar Award in aging
From invertebrates to mammals, diet restriction can extend lifespan and slow symptoms of aging. How diet restriction affects senescence, however, remains a mystery that is at the heart of much current molecular and genetic research. One attractive explanation holds that when animals are diet-restricted they allocate available resources away... |
Dr. Robert Alan Reenan
Brown University
2005 senior Scholar Award in aging
RNA editing is found in all animals and has a unique role in determining how genes are expressed in the nervous system. Genes, archived in the genomic DNA of every species, express their information by first being made into working copies of messenger RNA (mRNA). mRNAs are expressed, according to cell-specific needs, and are then translated... |
Funded Institutions
The Ellison Medical Foundation fosters research by means of grants-in-aid on behalf of investigators to universities and laboratories within the United States. Institutions receiving awards must be tax-exempt 501(c)(3) organizations or U.S. colleges or universities.
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