Healthy Aging
Healthy aging research investigates biological, psychological, and social factors influencing longevity and quality of life. Our faculty study cellular and organismal aging mechanisms, age-related diseases, and age-related declines in fertility, with the goal of developing interventions to promote vitality, prevent chronic conditions, and enhance wellbeing throughout the lifespan.
Members
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The Apfeld Lab studies how the brain regulates aging and resilience in C. elegans to uncover fundamental principles that could lead to new therapies for age-related human diseases.
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Dr. Ionescu’s research centers on skeletal development and pathology with an emphasis on tissue regeneration and repair after injury.
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Dr. Khrapko’s lab studies mutations in mtDNA and their effects on cellular physiology, aging, and disease, while also using these mutations to trace mtDNA lineages and study human evolution.
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The Monaghan Lab uses the axolotl salamander to investigate the cellular and molecular basis of complex tissue regeneration for potential application to human injury and disease treatment.
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Dr. O’Malley studies neuronal networks at cellular, systems, and computational levels, focusing on symbolic operations in mammalian cortex including packet routing and auto-associative network mechanisms.
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Dr. Tilly investigates genetic and epigenetic drivers of cell lineage specification, differentiation, and death to develop innovative technologies that improve human health within and across generations.
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The Wang Lab develops mammalian synthetic biology tools to advance anti-cancer cellular therapy, regenerative medicine, and microfluidic human organ models.
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Dr. Woods studies the role of mitochondria in normal and disease states, with a major emphasis on female reproductive function and health.
Interested in working with us?
In the news
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Research
How do axolotls regenerate limbs and organs? This researcher has started to uncover the secret
New research by James Monaghan, professor of biology, shows that the key to axolotl limb regeneration is retinoic acid. Could this be the key to human limb regeneration in the future? -
Research
New Northeastern research could revolutionize treatment for children’s growth plate fractures using stem cells
Andreia Ionescu, assistant professor of biology, is conducting research to understand how stem cells can be used to treat bone fractures. -
Student-led collaboration explains how worms navigate a world of food and toxins
A new study from a Northeastern-led collaboration, looking into the C. elegans worms’ interactions with their microbiome, found that the worms are willing to leave a bacterial food source when they’re exposed to one of their deadliest toxins and identified the driving neurological mechanism behind it. -
A Northeastern-led team is uprooting modern reproductive biology
A March 2022 study from the two Northeastern biology professors’ labs, spearheaded by biology Ph.D. students Hannah Alberico and Zoe Fleischmann, further affirmed the existence of ovarian stem cells in humans, indicating humans may not have a fixed number of eggs from birth and that the body is capable of producing more. The discovery turns modern reproductive biology on its head.