News, Events & Publications
MN NSC Pilot Awardees
Fall 2025 Pilot Awardees
| Awardee | Institution | Project Title |
|---|---|---|
| Shah R. Ali, MD | Irving Medical Center, Columbia University | Cardiomyocyte polyploidy in the mammalian heart buffers against DNA damage and premature aging |
| Meghan Hirsch, PhD | University of Alabama | Elucidating the Role of Nontuberculous Mycobacterium on Epigenetic Alterations in the Cystic Fibrosis Neutrophil |
| Caitlyn Holmes, PhD | University of Minnesota | Defining the effects of aging on bacterial tissue-specific fitness during bloodstream infection |
| Bryan Martinez, PhD | University of Minnesota | Investigation of RNA methylation in aged C. elegans populations |
| Maria Shvedova, MD, PhD | Boston University School of Medicine | Multi-Tissue Epigenetic Aging and Transcriptomic Signatures After Multi-Target Intervention in Aged Mice |
| Matt Yousefzedah, PhD | Columbia University | Investigation of DNA adducts in aging and their relationship to biological aging |
| Lei Zhang, PhD | University of Minnesota | DNA Damage and Methylation Changes in Primate Senescence Across Lifespans |
Spring 2026 Awardees
| Awardee | Institution | Project Title |
|---|---|---|
| Alessandro Bartolomucci, PhD & Silvia Balbo, PhD | University of Minnesota | Using DNA adductomics to establish the causal link between chronic psychosocial stress, DNA damage, and senescent cell accumulation. |
| Amy Hauck, PhD | University of Minnesota | NCORs - the role of corepressors in protecting epigenomic rhythms in hepatocytes |
| Davis Englund, PhD | University of Alabama at Birmingham | Evaluating DNA adducts as drivers of persistent skeletal muscle dysfunction after bacterial infection in older mice and humans |
| John Hulleman, PhD | University of Minnesota | Punctuated ocular aging driven by extracellular matrix changes in a mouse model of macular degeneration |
| Sarah M Knox, PhD | University of California, San Francisco | Reversal of Age-Accumulated DNA Damage Through Muscarinic Receptor Activation |
| Swati S. More, PhD | University of Minnesota | The role of protein persulfidation in genome stability during aging |
MN NSC Publications
| Journal & Publication Date | Authors | Title |
|---|---|---|
|
July 2026 |
Andrew Hakeem and Xavier S. Revelo | Myeloid Piezo1 as a Brake on Efferocytosis and Cardiac Repair in the Infarcted Heart |
2026 MN NSC Inaugural Symposium Recap
The Minnesota Nathan Shock Center (MN NSC) on Genome Integrity & Aging hosted its inaugural Annual Symposium at Coffman Memorial Union at the University of Minnesota July 29 - 31m 2026.
The inaugural symposium centered on the interconnected mechanisms driving genomic instability, cellular senescence, and age-related systemic decline.
- Focus on Genome Integrity: Presentations and panel discussions explored how DNA damage responses (DDR), epigenetic modifications, and DNA repair capacity dictate the trajectory of aging tissues.
- Core Resource Spotlights: The MN NSC highlighted state-of-the-art research cores available to the scientific community, including specialized models of genome instability, cellular DNA repair evaluation, and epigenetic damage quantification.
- Trainee & Early-Career Innovation: Four outstanding abstracts were selected for 15-minute platform presentations alongside $500 travel awards, spotlighting the next generation of geroscientists.
Looking Ahead
Organized by the MN NSC Administrative and Program Enrichment Core, the annual event reinforces Minnesota’s role as a national hub for geroscience and genome integrity research. The 2nd annual MN NSC will be held August 11 - 13, 2027 at Coffman Memorial Theater, Minneapolis, MN.