Institute on Aging Pilot Research Grantees 2013
The Institute on Aging was able to award 4 full Pilot Research Grants in support of aging and aging-related disease research. Congratulations to this year's awardees.
2013 Pilot Research Grant Awardees
This year's Pilot Research Grant Awardees are as follows:
David Artis, Perelman School of Medicine
Michael A. Lampson, School of Arts & Sciences
Selamawit Negash, Perelman School of Medicine
E. James Petersson, School of Arts & Sciences
- David Artis, PhD
"Effect of Aging on Enteric Viral Infection"
Abstract:
- Michael A. Lampson, PhD
"Maintaining Centromere Identity in Mammalian Oocytes During Aging"
Abstract:
Chromosome inheritance depends on an element within each chromosome known as the centromere. A protein that binds DNA, known as CENP-A, defines the location and function of the centromere. The process by which CENP-A is maintained on chromosomes in most dividing cells is well understood and explains how centromeres are propagated as these cells divide to create new cells. In one crucial exception, oocytes which divide to create eggs, there are major unresolved questions surrounding CENP-A maintenance during aging. Mammalian oocytes persist for the entire reproductive lifespan of the animal in a state in which the known mechanisms for CENP-A propagation do not apply. This proposal takes an innovative interdisciplinary approach, combining structural biology and biophysics with in vivo reproductive biology, to determine how centromeres are maintained in oocytes during aging. We will make the first measurements of CENP-A stability during oocyte aging, test whether an unconventional mechanism exists to replenish CENP-A during aging, and determine how CENP-A stability depends on its unusual structural features. The processes that we are studying are crucial for reproductive fitness and faithful chromosome inheritance between generations, and for understanding age-related disorders such as Down syndrome that are caused by errors in chromosome inheritance.
- Selamawit Negash, PhD
"Enhancing Cognitive Fitness in African American Older Adults"
Abstract:
With the aging of the “baby-boom” generation, there is an emerging interest in health promotion behaviors of older adults. The Alzheimer’s Association has recently partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop the Healthy Brain Initiative, which recommends lifestyle interventions as part of its Road Map for maintaining or improving the cognitive performance of all adults. Despite the growing interest, however, research on cognitive health of minority older adults has critically lagged. This is unfortunate because minority populations are already at a disadvantage with regards to engaging in health promotion behaviors. The Penn Memory Center recently launched an innovative program, Cognitive Fitness, designed maintain and improve cognitive and emotional health in older adults. The program uses multi-modal approach and combines computer-based cognitive training, engagement in physical activity, and mindfulness meditation. Nonetheless, the program has a major limitation in that members of minority groups are underrepresented. This is a major health disparity concern, and interventions that are targeted towards ethnically diverse older adults are crucially needed, especially since studies suggest that minority elders may reap even greater benefits from well-developed cognitive wellness programs. The current proposal seeks to address this critical knowledge gap.
- E. James Petersson, PhD
"Using Semi-Synthetic to Understand the Formation and Propagation of Lewy Bodies in Parkinson's Disease and Dementia"
Abstract:
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