Department of Pathology
Harvard Medical School
Boston, Massachusetts
Genes and Small Molecules That Slow Aging-Effects on
Cardiovascular Disease (Oct. 7, 3:45 PM)
Presentation Summary
Dr. Sinclair joined the faculty of the Department of Pathology at Harvard Medical School in 1999, first as Assistant Professor (1999-2004) and then as Associate Professor (2004-present).
He obtained his PhD from The University of New South Wales in Australia. He moved to the United States in 1996 to conduct his postdoctoral work at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Boston.
Recent studies in his lab and others demonstrated that the ability of caloric restriction to extend lifespan in models organisms is governed by the Sirtuins. Animals lacking Sirtuin genes do not respond to caloric restrictions and additional gene copies extend lifespan. Based on these findings, Dr. Sinclair’s group has engineered small molecules that can activate mammalian Sirtuins in vivo, with a view to developing drugs that can treat the diseases of aging and promote cell survival and recovery following an injury.
