Organ function declines over the lifespan because tissues fail to properly repair cellular damage. The Crane lab seeks to understand fundamental aspects of aging such as DNA damage, bioenergetic defects and immunity in order to restore tissue repair. We focus on epithelial and connective tissues to investigate fibrotic scarring, wound healing and inflammatory injury in transgenic mouse and in vitro models. The overall goal of this work is to develop therapies that mitigate aging and associated diseases and to promote function and independence in our elderly population.