IOA Member Spotlight: Christos Davatzikos, PhD - AI and Medical Image Analysis
By Nicolette Calcavecchia
Christos Davatzikos, PhD
Christos Davatzikos, PhD is the Wallace T. Miller Sr. Professor of Radiology at the University of Pennsylvania, and Director of the recently founded AI2D Center for AI and Data Science for Integrated Diagnostics. He has been the Founding Director of the Center for Biomedical Image Computing and Analytics since 2013, and the director of the AIBIL lab (AI in Biomedical Imaging). He holds secondary appointments in Electrical and Systems Engineering, Computer and Information Science, and in the Division of Informatics at Penn. He obtained his undergraduate degree by the National Technical University of Athens, Greece…
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The Science of Aging: Summer 2025
By Nicolette Calcavecchia
The Science of Aging: An IOA Newsletter, Summer 2025 Edition | DIGITAL VERSION 
A LOOK INSIDE:
Download the PDF here.
FDA Approves First Blood Test Used in Diagnosing Alzheimer's Disease
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has officially cleared the first-ever blood test to aid in the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease — a milestone many experts say…
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Is Klotho the key to brain resilience in aging?
By Nicolette Calcavecchia
Dr. Dena Dubal, a neurologist at UCSF and this year’s Mary and Joseph A. Pignolo, Sr. Lectureship in Aging Research Awardee, is leading groundbreaking research on Klotho, a protein identified as a longevity factor.
Dr. Dubal's work reveals that Klotho not only extends lifespan but also enhances brain resilience, improving cognition in both healthy and diseased brains. In animal models of aging, Alzheimer's, and Parkinson's, increasing Klotho levels—either genetically or through protein injections—boosted memory and learning by strengthening synaptic function, particularly through NMDA receptor pathways.
During her lecture on the topic, Dr. Dubal explained that these benefits occur even when Klotho…
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IOA Member Spotlight: Jina Ko, PhD - Developing Next-Generation Diagnostic Tools
By Nicolette Calcavecchia
Jina Ko, PhD
Assistant Professor of Bioengineering, University of Pennsylvania School of Engineering and Applied Science
Assistant Professor of Clinical Pathology and Laboratory Medicine. Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
Dr. Jina Ko is an Assistant Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, holding joint appointments in the Departments of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at the Perelman School of Medicine and Bioengineering at the School of Engineering and Applied Science.
Her research focuses on developing next-generation diagnostic tools through the integration of bioengineering, molecular biology, and chemistry. Dr. Ko's lab specializes in droplet microfluidics, single extracellular vesicle analysis, and…
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IOA Member Spotlight: James Shorter, PhD - Using proteostasis machinery to inform and develop therapeutic strategies for neurodegenerative disorders
By Nicolette Calcavecchia
James Shorter, PhD is a Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. The Shorter lab studies how to counter deleterious phase transitions in neurodegenerative disease.
In 2024, Dr. Shorter and his team received the Zenith Fellows Award from the Alzheimer’s Association, which is among the most prestigious awards in Alzheimer's research worldwide, as well as an award from the Kissick Family Foundation in partnership with the Milken Institute Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration and an award from Hop On a Cure with the Robert Packard Center for ALS Research.…
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