A University of Texas at San Antonio scientist has been awarded a junior faculty grant from the American Federation for Aging Research, or AFAR.
Sijia He, PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology in the Joe R. and Teresa Lozano Long School of Medicine and the Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, was awarded $150,000 for her research project on brain immunity and the risk of chronic aging-related diseases. The brain’s immune system is a key driver in the aging process.
The goal of AFAR’s junior faculty program is to support the professional development of scientists focused on aging research. This year, six scientists from across the country received awards totaling $900,000. The awards fund one- to two-year projects that will be the basis for longer-term projects focused on the biology of aging.
He’s study will focus on cyclic GMP-AMP synthase, a molecule that becomes upregulated as we age, contributing to inflammation and dementia. Her lab found that turning off this cyclic GMP-AMP synthase in the immune cells of the brain in a mouse model protected it against memory loss and improved metabolism and blood sugar control. The lab will now investigate how brain immune signals affect aging in other organs like the liver, muscles and the heart.
Part of the work will be performed at the Barshop Institute with additional in-kind support from the San Antonio Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging at UT San Antonio. He said by understanding how the brain acts as a control center for aging, we can discover new ways to promote healthy aging and prevent aging-related diseases.
“A core program since AFAR’s inception, the AFAR Grant for Junior Faculty provides flexible support at a critical juncture for early-career investigators when research funding is most difficult to secure,” said Stephanie Lederman, AFAR executive director. “This grant has helped many promising scientists advance the field’s understanding of the basic mechanisms of aging, building a foundation of knowledge that will help us all live healthier, longer.”
About the American Federation for Aging Research
The American Federation for Aging Research is a nonprofit organization that supports the advancement of biomedical research focused on helping people live healthier, longer lives. For more than 40 years, the organization has served as a “talent incubator” for promising researchers. To date, the federation has provided more than $225 million to thousands of researchers in premier research institutions across the country. Their groundbreaking science is paving the way for new therapies that could improve and extend quality of life at any age. Learn more about The American Federation for Aging Research at https://www.afar.org/.