Award
National Institute on Aging 1R01AG097491-01
The brain as a control center for other organs during aging
Recipient
Stanford University
Award Amount
$1,468,868.00
Ceiling
$1,468,868.00
Awarded
January 08, 2026
Identifier
1R01AG097491-01
NIH grant awarded to Stanford University to study the brain's role in regulating aging using advanced technologies and the killifish model, aiming to develop therapies to extend healthy lifespan.
Description
This multi-investigator proposal aims to determine how the brain can act as a ‘neural pacemaker’ to regulate the tempo of aging in the whole organism. Aging affects every organ and is associated with devastating diseases. The project leverages the killifish model, which has a naturally compressed lifespan (~6 months), and utilizes advanced technologies including video-tracking, artificial intelligence, genetic screening, and multi-omics datasets to study aging and longevity. The key experiments include using behavioral recordings to predict the rate of aging, identifying factors connecting the brain to the rest of the body in aging regulation, studying molecular changes in the brain during aging, and mapping neuronal activity networks involved in aging and longevity. The goal is to uncover fundamental mechanisms controlling aging and develop therapeutic strategies to extend healthy lifespan, addressing major societal issues related to aging populations.