The goal of research in my lab is to understand the biology that makes us slow down and become more vulnerable to disease and injury as we grow older. We know that it is possible to combat aging biology because some people achieve advanced age in truly great condition. Studies of the habits and biology of such individuals during their lives are underway, but it may take several human lifetimes for them to be completed. Lower organisms grow old more rapidly and, like humans, show great differences among individuals in terms of how long they remain robust, and resist disease and injury. By studying lower organisms, my laboratory is focused on the promise that we can rapidly discover ways to combat deleterious aging conditions, study how they work, and design trials in humans. Understanding the biology of aging will help us treat all aging-related diseases (i.e., Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, etc).