Translational Senescence Unit
Ali Herman, Ph.D.
Research Fellow
Head, Translational Senescence Unit
Laboratory of Genetics and Genomics
The Translational Senescence Unit, led by Dr. Herman, investigates the genomic changes that govern cellular senescence during normal aging and in age-related pathologies. Using a combination of innovative high-throughput techniques, single-cell RNA sequencing, and novel animal models of age-related diseases, the Unit is interested in identifying:
- Heterogeneity among senescent cell niches;
- The key genes responsible for promoting senescence in age-related diseases, and;
- Whether we can exploit those genes to develop therapeutic interventions to reduce the burden of cellular senescence in vivo.
This Unit focuses on vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis as a model age-related pathology where senescent cells play a critical role. By studying vascular diseases, we aim to determine how modulating senescent cells can directly improve healthspan in one of the most prevalent age-related diseases, and to develop senescent cell-specific therapeutics.