William Mair
Curriculum vitae

William B. Mair

Professor of Molecular Metabolism · Director, Harvard Chan Healthy Aging Initiative

Updated 2 November 2026Publications ↗ORCID ↗Google Scholar ↗

Research

Fundamental mechanisms of metabolic flexibility, nutrient and energy sensing (AMPK, mTORC1, CRTC-1), organelle dynamics and RNA splicing in healthy aging; discovery biology in C. elegans with translation toward precision geroscience.

Leadership

Director, Harvard Chan Healthy Aging Initiative (2024-). Co-founding Director, MBL Biology of Aging course (2023-). Organizer, CSHL Mechanisms of Aging meeting (2022, 2024, 2026). Co-chair, Fusion Interventions in Aging (2025, 2027). Chief Scientific Advisor, The WNDR Lab (2025-).

Record

37 primary research papers incl. Nature, Science, Cell, Nature Aging, Nature Cell Biology and Cell Metabolism · h-index 36 · >13,000 citations · 5 NIH R01s as PI · open genetic toolkits and strains built for the field and shared via the CGC, Addgene and direct distribution · 14 postdocs and 9 PhD students trained; 4 alumni now independent faculty.

Service

Former permanent member, NIH CMAD study section (2020-24) · Academic Editor, PLOS Biology · Elected member, Academy of Geroscience (2025) · Scientific Advisory Board, Babraham Institute (2025-) · External Advisory Board, UCSF Bakar Aging Research Institute (2021-).

01Research overview

I am a molecular geneticist who studies why age is the greatest risk factor for chronic disease, and how that risk can be reduced. My central hypothesis is that aging and age-related disease stem from a progressive loss of metabolic flexibility, the capacity of cells, tissues and whole organisms to respond acutely and appropriately to changes in nutrient supply, and that restoring this "homeodynamic" capacity can promote healthy aging.

As a graduate student with Linda Partridge I described the first late-onset dietary intervention to reverse mortality trajectories in Drosophila and showed that macronutrient balance, not calories, drives the longevity effect of dietary restriction. As a postdoc with Andrew Dillin I identified CRTC coactivators as direct longevity targets of the energy sensor AMPK. My own group at Harvard has since defined how AMPK and mTORC1 integrate in the nervous system to regulate systemic aging cell non-autonomously; discovered causal roles for RNA splicing factors in longevity and in individual variation in response to interventions; and established organelle plasticity, mitochondrial network dynamics, ER-mitochondrial calcium signaling and, most recently, peroxisomal function, as the effector arm through which nutrient sensors govern metabolic aging. Along the way we have built widely used genetic tools in C. elegans for single-copy knock-in, tissue-specific ribosome profiling and acute protein degradation.

The next phase is precision geroscience: defining biomarkers that predict who will respond to which intervention, and translating these mechanisms into mammalian systems and human cohorts. As Director of the Harvard Chan Healthy Aging Initiative I work to integrate the biology of aging with public health, with a particular focus on the inequities in healthy aging that make this a public-health emergency rather than a luxury problem.

02Education and training

  1. 2006-2011Postdoctoral Fellow, Molecular and Cell Biology Laboratory / Glenn Center for Aging Research, The Salk Institute for Biological Studies, La Jolla, CA. Advisor: Dr. Andrew Dillin.
  2. 2001-2005Ph.D., Biology, University College London, UK. Advisor: Professor Dame Linda Partridge. (BBSRC-funded)
  3. 1997-2000B.Sc. (Hons), Genetics, First Class, University College London, UK.

03Academic appointments

  1. 2024-Professor of Molecular Metabolism, Department of Molecular Metabolism, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (tenured).
  2. 2024-Director, Harvard Chan Healthy Aging Initiative, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
  3. 2019-Affiliate Faculty, Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology, Harvard University / Harvard Medical School.
  4. 2017-2024Associate Professor, Department of Molecular Metabolism (formerly Genetics and Complex Diseases), Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
  5. 2011-2017Assistant Professor, Department of Genetics and Complex Diseases, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

04Leadership, advisory and editorial roles

  1. 2026-Steering Committee, DiAL Health 2.0 Consortium (Pennington Biomedical Research Center-led multi-site study; Harvard site with C. Peterson).
  2. 2025-Scientific Advisory Board, Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK.
  3. 2025-International Advisory Board, Center for Aging Research (CARe), UNICAMP, Brazil (FAPESP-funded).
  4. 2025-Chief Scientific Advisor, The WNDR Lab, Boston, MA; scientific lead for a consumer healthy-aging venture.
  5. 2025-Founding Editorial Board Member, Geromedicine.
  6. 2024-Director, Harvard Chan Healthy Aging Initiative; founded and lead the School-wide initiative to integrate aging biology with public health: launched the Initiative and its public site (2025); secured a Danone Institute North America partnership (2026) and philanthropic gifts (2026); convened the inaugural Healthy Aging Symposium (~200 attendees, Oct 2026) and the Aging Reframed interdisciplinary seminar (2026); designed Harvard ALI Deep Dives on longevity (2025, 2026); led Massachusetts State House briefings on aging biology (2025, 2026).
  7. 2023-Co-founding Director (with Dr. Jennifer Garrison, Buck Institute), MBL Biology of Aging Advanced Research Training Course, Marine Biological Laboratory, Woods Hole, MA. Biennial four-week immersive research course (2023, 2025, 2027), now regarded as a leading training program for future geroscience leaders; 18 students per cohort from five continents; funded by the Glenn Foundation, AFAR/Hevolution and the Academy of Geroscience.
  8. 2021-External Advisory Board, Bakar Aging Research Institute (BARI), University of California San Francisco.
  9. 2020-National Scientific Advisory Council, American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR).
  10. 2020-2021Co-founder (with D. Lamming), Aging Science Talks; free daily online seminar series launched within days of the March 2020 shutdown; six months of talks, 400-500 live attendees at peak, presenters from four continents, and a 3,000-member Slack community that persists. Described in Lamming & Carter, Transl Med Aging 2020; 4:55-59 PubMed and Mair, Transl Med Aging 2020; 4:86-87 PubMed; trainee perspective by Mair Lab student H. J. Smith, Transl Med Aging 2020; 4:76-77 PubMed.
  11. 2022-2026Organizer, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Mechanisms of Aging meeting (2022, 2024, 2026); the field's premier biennial international meeting (350-400 attendees); responsible for program, session chairs and short-talk selection; secured NIH R13 conference support (2022).
  12. 2018-Founder and Inaugural Chair, My Age Group; international peer-mentoring network of ten aging-biology PIs (US/Europe); annual closed-door science meetings since 2018.
  13. 2024-Academic Editor, PLOS Biology; Guest Editor of its 2026 Aging Collection.
  14. 2020-2024Permanent Member, NIH Cellular Mechanisms of Aging and Development (CMAD) Study Section.

05Honors and awards

  1. 2025Elected Member, Academy of Geroscience (formerly Academy for Health and Lifespan Research).
  2. 2025Dean's Special Lecture, University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
  3. 2024Keynote Speaker, 20th Anniversary Symposium, UCL Institute of Healthy Ageing, London.
  4. 2019Armen H. Tashjian Jr. Award for Excellence in Endocrine Research, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
  5. 2017Breakthroughs in Gerontology (BIG) Award, American Federation for Aging Research / Glenn Foundation.
  6. 2015Glenn Award for Research in Biological Mechanisms of Aging, Glenn Foundation for Medical Research.
  7. 2014Nominee, Helmholtz Young Investigator Diabetes (HeIDi) Award.
  8. 2013William F. Milton Fund Award, Harvard University.
  9. 2012New Scholar in Aging Research Award, Ellison Medical Foundation.
  10. 2012Fellow, NIA 20th Annual Summer Training Course in Experimental Aging Research.
  11. 2010AFAR / Ellison Medical Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship; Glenn Center for Aging Research Postdoctoral Fellowship.
  12. 2007George E. Hewitt Foundation for Medical Research Postdoctoral Fellowship.
  13. 2006Pioneer Endowment Fund Postdoctoral Fellowship, The Salk Institute.
  14. 2001BBSRC Ph.D. Studentship, University College London.

06Research support

Active

  1. 2013-2031NIH/NIA R01 AG044346 (competing renewal 2R01AG044346-11, 2026-2031). PI: Mair. Mechanisms Specific to the Beneficial Effects of Dietary Restriction.
  2. 2026-2028Danone Institute North America research agreement. MPI: Mair & C. Peterson. Healthy Aging Symposium and Pilot Grant Program.
  3. 2026-2028Philanthropic gift (anonymous donor) supporting Mair Lab aging research.
  4. 2026-2027Philanthropic gift; automated lifespan platform (Nagi Bioscience SydLab One) for the Mair Lab.
  5. 2022-2027NIH/NIA R01 AG071966. PI: E. Chouchani (DFCI); Harvard site PI: Mair. Defining the Landscape and Mechanisms of Protein Redox Regulation during Aging.

Completed

  1. 2022-2025AFAR / Glenn Foundation Breakthroughs in Gerontology Award (subaward). PI: E. Chouchani; co-I: Mair. Defining the Functional Landscape of Protein Redox Regulation during Aging.
  2. 2020-2025NIH/NIA R01 AG067106. PI: Mair. Reversing Loss of Metabolic Homeostasis to Ameliorate Alzheimer's Disease Pathogenicity.
  3. 2018-2024NIH/NIA R01 AG059595. PI: Mair. Cell Non-autonomous Regulation of Aging via Neuronal TORC1.
  4. 2018-2022AbbVie collaborative research agreement. PI: Mair. Neuron-specific tau models in C. elegans.
  5. 2021-2022NIH/NIA R56 AG071966 (bridge award). PI: E. Chouchani; co-I: Mair.
  6. 2017-2022NIH/NIA R01 AG051954. PI: Mair. Targeting RNA Homeostasis to Promote Healthy Aging.
  7. 2016-2022NIH/NIA R01 AG054201. MPI: A. Brunet (Stanford) & Mair. Link between Epigenetic Modifiers and Fat Metabolism for Healthy Aging.
  8. 2018-2020NIH/NIA R21 AG056930. PI: Mair. Defining Functional Outputs of Mitochondrial Networks in Longevity.
  9. 2017-2019AFAR Breakthroughs in Gerontology (BIG) Award. PI: Mair.
  10. 2016-2017Glenn Foundation for Medical Research, Glenn Award (unsolicited). PI: Mair.
  11. 2014-2016Ellison Medical Foundation New Scholar in Aging Research Award. PI: Mair. Uncoupling Positive and Negative Effects of Dietary Restriction.
  12. 2013-2014William F. Milton Fund, Harvard University. PI: Mair. The Molecular Framework Linking Energy Sensing to the Unfolded Protein Response.
  13. 2012-2013Harvard TREC Center Pilot Grant. PI: Mair. Mechanisms by which Low Calorie Intake Reduces Tumorigenesis.
  14. Dean's Research Accelerator Award, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Fellowships and Grants Awarded to Trainees

  1. 2026-2031NIH/NIA K99/R00 AG092471; Dr. Christopher Morrow. Peeling Back the Layers of Mitochondrial Aging.
  2. 2026-2027Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship; Dr. Aditi Prabhakar.
  3. 2025-2027Swedish Research Council International Postdoctoral Fellowship; Dr. Jamie Kraft.
  4. 2024-2026NIH/NIA F32 AG085703; Dr. Christopher Morrow.
  5. 2023-2025NIH/NIA K99/R00 AG078343; Dr. Arpit Sharma. NIH/NIA F31 AG077729; Maria Perez Matos.
  6. 2021-2024NIH/NIA F31 AG076296; Hannah Smith.
  7. 2020-2023NIH/NIA K99/R00 AG065508; Dr. Carlos Silva-García. NSF Graduate Research Fellowship; Noel Jackson.
  8. 2019-2022NIH/NIA F31 AG066458; Pallas Yao.
  9. EarlierNIH/NIA F32 and K99/R00; Dr. Kristopher Burkewitz; Swiss National Science Foundation, Luxembourg National Research Fund and King's Trust postdoctoral fellowships; Dr. Caroline Heintz; NIA Diversity Supplement; Dr. Porsha Howell; Yerby Fellowship; Dr. Carlos Silva-García; King's Trust Fellowship (declined); Dr. Kristopher Burkewitz.

07Industry engagement and consulting

  1. 2025-Chief Scientific Advisor, The WNDR Lab, Boston, MA; scientific lead for a consumer healthy-aging venture; evidence standards, product science and public communication.
  2. 2026-2028Research partnership, Danone Institute North America; Healthy Aging Symposium and Pilot Grant Program (co-PI with C. Peterson).
  3. 2018-2022Sponsored research agreement, AbbVie; neuron-specific tau models of Alzheimer's disease in C. elegans (PI).
  4. 2025-Scientific Advisory Board, Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK (aging research strategy and ten-year science vision).
  5. All external relationships are disclosed and managed under Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health conflict-of-interest policy.

08Publications

Lab papers are posted as preprints before peer review; the preprint is linked after each entry. h-index 36 · i10-index 52 · 13,310 citations (Google Scholar, 2 November 2026) · ORCID 0000-0002-0661-1342 · Google Scholar

Primary Research Articles (37)

  1. 1.Plesa AM, Jung S, Wang HH, Omar F, Shadpour M, Choy Buentello D, Perez-Matos MC, Horwitz N, Cai G, Ngian ZK, Magalhaes C, Wagers AJ, Mair WB, Del Sol A, Church GM. Transcriptomic reprogramming screen identifies SRSF1 as a regulator of aging. Nature Aging 2026; 6:2057-2073. PubMed Preprint: bioRxiv
  2. 2.Sharma A, Prabhakar A, Valera-Alberni M, Kraft JD, Ellis AE, Sheldon RD, Mistry M, Yao P, Liang Y, Hui S, Mair WB. Peroxisomes orchestrate metabolic flexibility and longevity via an interorganelle cascade. Nature Aging 2026; 6:987-1006. PubMed Preprint: bioRxiv
  3. 3.Dutta S, Perez Matos MC, Heintz C, Mutlu AS, Piper M, Mistry M, Sharma A, Morrow CS, Smith H, Howell P, Sehgal R, Lanjuin A, Wang MC, Mair WB. The efficacy of longevity interventions in Caenorhabditis elegans is determined by the early life activity of RNA splicing factors. PLoS Biology 2025; 23:e3003504. PubMed Preprint: bioRxiv
  4. 4.Morrow CS, Yao P, Vergani-Junior CA, Anekal PV, Montero Llopis P, Miller JW, Benayoun BA, Mair WB. Endogenous mitochondrial NAD(P)H fluorescence can predict lifespan. Communications Biology 2024; 7:1551. PubMed
  5. 5.Valera-Alberni M, Yao P, Romero-Sanz S, Lanjuin A, Mair WB. Novel imaging tools to study mitochondrial morphology in Caenorhabditis elegans. Life Science Alliance 2024; 7:e202402918. PubMed Preprint: bioRxiv
  6. 6.Vergani-Junior CA, Moro RP, Pinto S, De-Souza EA, Camara H, Braga DL, Tonon-da-Silva G, Knittel TL, Ruiz GP, Ludwig RG, Massirer KB, Mair WB, Mori MA. An intricate network involving the Argonaute ALG-1 modulates organismal resistance to oxidative stress. Nature Communications 2024; 15:3070. PubMed
  7. 7.Stojanovski K, Gheorghe I, Lenart P, Lanjuin A, Mair WB, Towbin BD. Maintenance of appropriate size scaling of the C. elegans pharynx by YAP-1. Nature Communications 2023; 14:7564. PubMed Preprint: bioRxiv
  8. 8.Smith HJ, Lanjuin A, Sharma A, Prabhakar A, Nowak E, Stine PG, Sehgal R, Stojanovski K, Towbin BD, Mair WB. Neuronal mTORC1 inhibition promotes longevity without suppressing anabolic growth and reproduction in C. elegans. PLoS Genetics 2023; 19:e1010938. PubMed Preprint: bioRxiv
  9. 9.Silva-García CG, Lascarez-Lagunas LI, Heintz C, Papsdorf K, Pajuelo L, Sharma A, Colaiácovo MP, Brunet A, Mair WB. The CRTC-1 transcriptional domain is required for COMPASS complex-mediated longevity in C. elegans. Nature Aging 2023; 3:1358-1371. PubMed Preprint: bioRxiv
  10. 10.Papsdorf K, Miklas JW, Hosseini A, Cabruja M, Morrow CS, Savini M, Yu Y, Silva-García CG, Haseley NR, Murphy LM, Yao P, de Launoit E, Dixon SJ, Snyder MP, Wang MC, Mair WB, Brunet A. Lipid droplets and peroxisomes are co-regulated to drive lifespan extension in response to mono-unsaturated fatty acids. Nature Cell Biology 2023; 25:672-684. PubMed Preprint: Research Square
  11. 11.Wester LE, Lanjuin A, Bruckisch EHW, Perez-Matos MC, Stine PG, Heintz C, Denzel MS, Mair WB. A single-copy knock-in translating ribosome immunoprecipitation (SKI TRIP) tool kit for tissue-specific profiling of actively translated mRNAs in C. elegans. Cell Reports Methods 2023; 3:100433. PubMed Preprint: bioRxiv
  12. 12.Savini M, Folick A, Lee YT, Jin F, Cuevas A, Tillman MC, Duffy JD, Zhao Q, Neve IA, Hu PW, Yu Y, Zhang Q, Ye Y, Mair WB, Wang J, Han L, Ortlund EA, Wang MC. Lysosome lipid signalling from the periphery to neurons regulates longevity. Nature Cell Biology 2022; 24:906-916. PubMed Preprint: bioRxiv
  13. 13.Statzer C, Meng J, Venz R, Bland M, Robida-Stubbs S, Patel K, Petrovic D, Emsley R, Liu P, Morantte I, Haynes C, Mair WB, Longchamp A, Filipovic MR, Blackwell TK, Ewald CY. ATF-4 and hydrogen sulfide signalling mediate longevity in response to inhibition of translation or mTORC1. Nature Communications 2022; 13:967. PubMed Preprint: bioRxiv
  14. 14.Kelley CA, Triplett O, Mallick S, Burkewitz K, Mair WB, Cram EJ. FLN-1/filamin is required to anchor the actomyosin cytoskeleton and for global organization of sub-cellular organelles in a contractile tissue. Cytoskeleton 2020; 77:379-398. PubMed Preprint: bioRxiv
  15. 15.Burkewitz K, Feng G, Dutta S, Kelley CA, Steinbaugh M, Cram EJ, Mair WB. Atf-6 regulates lifespan through ER-mitochondrial calcium homeostasis. Cell Reports 2020; 32:108125. PubMed Preprint: bioRxiv
  16. 16.Liu YJ, McIntyre RL, Janssens GE, Williams EG, Lan J, van Weeghel M, Schomakers B, van der Veen H, van der Wel NN, Yao P, Mair WB, Aebersold R, MacInnes AW, Houtkooper RH. Mitochondrial translation and dynamics synergistically extend lifespan in C. elegans through HLH-30. J Cell Biol 2020; 219:e201907067. PubMed Preprint: bioRxiv
  17. 17.Zhang Y, Lanjuin A, Chowdhury SR, Mistry M, Silva-García CG, Weir HJ, Lee CL, Escoubas CC, Tabakovic E, Mair WB. Neuronal TORC1 modulates longevity via AMPK and cell nonautonomous regulation of mitochondrial dynamics in C. elegans. eLife 2019; 8:e49158. PubMed Preprint: bioRxiv
  18. 18.Silva-García CG, Lanjuin A, Heintz C, Dutta S, Clark NM, Mair WB. Single-copy knock-in loci for defined gene expression in Caenorhabditis elegans. G3 2019; 9:2195-2198. PubMed Preprint: bioRxiv
  19. 19.Weir HJ, Yao P, Huynh FK, Escoubas CC, Goncalves RL, Burkewitz K, Laboy R, Hirschey MD, Mair WB. Dietary restriction and AMPK increase lifespan via mitochondrial network and peroxisome remodeling. Cell Metabolism 2017; 26:884-896. PubMed
  20. 20.Han S, Schroeder EA, Silva-García CG, Hebestreit K, Mair WB, Brunet A. Mono-unsaturated fatty acids link H3K4me3 modifiers to longevity in C. elegans. Nature 2017; 544:185-190. PubMed
  21. 21.Heintz C, Doktor T, Lanjuin A, Escoubas C, Zhang Y, Weir H, Dutta S, Silva-García CG, Hoffmann Bruun G, Morantte I, Hoxhaj G, Manning BD, Andresen BS, Mair WB. Splicing Factor 1 modulates dietary restriction and TORC1 pathway longevity in C. elegans. Nature 2017; 541:102-106. PubMed
  22. 22.Reis Rodrigues P, Kaul TK, Ho JH, Lucanic M, Burkewitz K, Mair WB, Held JM, Bohn LM, Gill MS. Synthetic ligands of cannabinoid receptors affect dauer formation in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. G3 2016; 6:1695-1705. PubMed
  23. 23.Hou L, Wang D, Chen D, Liu Y, Zhang Y, Cheng H, Xu C, Sun N, McDermott J, Mair WB, Han JD. A systems approach to reverse engineer lifespan extension by dietary restriction. Cell Metabolism 2016; 23:529-540. PubMed
  24. 24.Jacobi D, Liu S, Burkewitz K, Kory N, Knudsen NH, Alexander RK, Unluturk U, Li X, Kong X, Hyde AL, Gangl MR, Mair WB, Lee CH. Hepatic Bmal1 regulates rhythmic mitochondrial dynamics and promotes metabolic fitness. Cell Metabolism 2015; 22:709-720. PubMed
  25. 25.Burkewitz K, Morantte I, Weir HJM, Yeo R, Zhang Y, Huynh FK, Ilkayeva OR, Hirschey MD, Grant AR, Mair WB. Neuronal CRTC-1 governs systemic mitochondrial metabolism and lifespan via a catecholamine signal. Cell 2015; 160:842-855. PubMed
  26. 26.Hine C, Harputlugil E, Zhang Y, Ruckenstuhl C, Lee BC, Brace L, Longchamp A, Trevino-Villarreal JH, Mejia P, Ozaki CK, Wang R, Gladyshev VN, Madeo F, Mair WB, Mitchell JR. Endogenous hydrogen sulfide production is essential for dietary restriction benefits. Cell 2015; 160:132-144. PubMed
  27. 27.Hwang AB, Ryu E, Artan M, Chang H, Kabir MH, Nam H, Lee D, Yang J, Kim S, Mair WB, Lee C, Lee SS, Lee S. Feedback regulation via AMPK and HIF-1 mediates ROS-dependent longevity in C. elegans. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2014; 111:E4458-E4467. PubMed
  28. 28.Mair W, Morantte I, Rodrigues APC, Manning G, Montminy M, Shaw RJ, Dillin A. Lifespan extension induced by AMPK and calcineurin is mediated by CRTC-1 and CREB. Nature 2011; 470:404-408. PubMed
  29. 29.Egan DF, Shackelford DB, Mihaylova MM, Gelino S, Kohnz RA, Mair W, Vasquez DS, et al. Phosphorylation of ULK1 (hATG1) by AMP-activated protein kinase connects energy sensing to mitophagy. Science 2011; 331:456-461. PubMed
  30. 30.Capelson M, Liang Y, Schulte R, Mair W, Wagner U, Hetzer MW. Chromatin-bound nuclear pore components regulate gene expression in higher eukaryotes. Cell 2010; 140:372-383. PubMed
  31. 31.Mair W*, McLeod CJ*, Wang L, Jones DL. Dietary restriction enhances germline stem cell maintenance. Aging Cell 2010; 9:916-918. *equal contribution. PubMed
  32. 32.Mair W§, Panowski SH, Shaw RJ, Dillin A§. Optimizing dietary restriction for genetic epistasis analysis and gene discovery in C. elegans. PLoS One 2009; 4:e4535. §co-corresponding. PubMed
  33. 33.Magwere T, Goodall S, Skepper J, Mair W, Brand MD, Partridge L. The effect of dietary restriction on mitochondrial protein density and flight muscle mitochondrial morphology in Drosophila. J Gerontol A 2006; 61:36-47. PubMed
  34. 34.Mair W, Piper MDW, Partridge L. Calories do not explain extension of life span by dietary restriction in Drosophila. PLoS Biology 2005; 3:e223. PubMed
  35. 35.Hulbert AJ, Clancy DJ, Mair W, Braeckman BP, Gems D, Partridge L. Metabolic rate is not reduced by dietary-restriction or by lowered insulin/IGF-1 signalling and is not correlated with individual lifespan in Drosophila melanogaster. Exp Gerontol 2004; 39:1137-1143. PubMed
  36. 36.Mair W, Sgrò CM, Johnson AP, Chapman T, Partridge L. Lifespan extension by dietary restriction in female Drosophila melanogaster is not caused by a reduction in vitellogenesis or ovarian activity. Exp Gerontol 2004; 39:1011-1019. PubMed
  37. 37.Mair W, Goymer P, Pletcher SD, Partridge L. Demography of dietary restriction and death in Drosophila. Science 2003; 301:1731-1733. PubMed

Preprints (not yet published elsewhere)

  1. 1.Shin S, Korobkina ED, Lennicke C, Burger N, Zhang B, Xiao H, Wang Y, Petrocelli JJ, Wei SM, Wood D, Lei Y, Zhang X, Perez-Matos MC, Sharif MA, Zhang J, Cochemé HM, Mair WB, Chouchani ET. Redox activation of ATG5 licenses autophagy upon nutrient restriction. bioRxiv 2026.
  2. 2.Prabhakar A, Mair WB. Regulation of the Rheb GTPase via GATOR1 complex. bioRxiv 2025.
  3. 3.Valera-Alberni M, Lanjuin A, Romero-Sanz S, Burkewitz K, Hughes AL, Mair WB. Nutrient-responsive formation of mitochondrial-derived structures in Caenorhabditis elegans. bioRxiv 2025.
  4. 4.Silva-García CG, Mair WB. Confirming the pro-longevity effects of H3K4me3-deficient set-2 mutants in extending lifespan in C. elegans. bioRxiv 2022.
  5. 5.Escoubas CC, Laversenne V, Tabakovic E, Weir HJ, Clark N, Mair WB. AMPK modulates associative learning via neuronal mitochondrial fusion in C. elegans. bioRxiv 2020.

Reviews and Book Chapters

  1. 1.Smith H, Sharma A, Mair WB. Metabolic communication and healthy aging: where should we focus our energy? Developmental Cell 2020; 54:196-211. PubMed
  2. 2.Bhadra M, Howell P, Dutta S, Heintz C, Mair WB. Alternative splicing in aging and longevity. Human Genetics 2020; 139:357-369. PubMed
  3. 3.Sharma A, Smith HJ, Yao P, Mair WB. Causal roles of mitochondrial dynamics in longevity and healthy aging. EMBO Reports 2019; 20:e48395. PubMed
  4. 4.Escoubas CC, Silva-García CG, Mair WB. Deregulation of CRTCs in aging and age-related disease risk. Trends in Genetics 2017; 33:303-321. PubMed
  5. 5.Weir HJ, Mair WB. SnapShot: Neuronal regulation of aging. Cell 2016; 166:784. PubMed
  6. 6.Zhang Y, Mair WB. Dietary restriction in C. elegans. In: C. elegans as a Model System for Aging Research. Springer, 2016.
  7. 7.Burkewitz K, Weir HJ, Mair WB. AMPK as a pro-longevity target. In: AMPK. Springer, 2016. PubMed
  8. 8.Burkewitz K, Zhang Y, Mair WB. AMPK at the nexus of energetics and aging. Cell Metabolism 2014; 20:10-25. PubMed
  9. 9.Heintz C, Mair W. You are what you host: microbiome regulation of the aging process. Cell 2014; 156:408-411. PubMed
  10. 10.Mair W, Dillin A. Aging and survival: the genetics of life span extension by dietary restriction. Annual Review of Biochemistry 2008; 77:727-754. PubMed
  11. 11.Piper MDW, Mair W, Partridge L. Counting the calories: the role of specific nutrients in extension of life span by food restriction. J Gerontol A 2005; 60:549-555. PubMed
  12. 12.Partridge L, Piper MDW, Mair W. Dietary restriction in Drosophila. Mech Ageing Dev 2005; 126:938-950. PubMed
  13. 13.Partridge L, Pletcher SD, Mair W. Dietary restriction, mortality trajectories, risk and damage. Mech Ageing Dev 2005; 126:35-41. PubMed

Commentaries, Editorials and Synopses

  1. 1.Mair WB, Alvarez-Garcia I. Do you want to live forever? Lessons learned from the biology of aging. PLoS Biology 2026; 24:e3003835. (Guest Academic Editor of the PLOS Biology Aging Collection: commissioned and selected the contributing authors, and wrote the introductory editorial.) PubMed
  2. 2.Valera-Alberni M, Mair WB. Fast fragmenting mitochondria by TORC2. Nature Cell Biology 2023; 25:926-927. PubMed
  3. 3.Nwanaji-Enwerem JC, Mair WB. Redefining age-based screening and diagnostic guidelines: an opportunity for biological aging clocks in clinical medicine? The Lancet Healthy Longevity 2022; 3:e376-e377. PubMed
  4. 4.Perez-Matos MC, Mair WB. Predicting longevity responses to dietary restriction: a stepping stone toward precision geroscience. PLoS Genetics 2020; 16:e1008833. PubMed
  5. 5.Mair WB. Remote but not isolated. Translational Medicine of Aging 2020; 4:86-87. (On founding the Aging Science Talks online community during COVID-19.) PubMed
  6. 6.Bäckhed F, Bugianesi E, Christofk H, Dikic I, Gupta R, Mair WB, O'Neill LAJ, Ralser M, Sabatini DM, Tschöp MH. The next decade of metabolism. Nature Metabolism 2019; 1:2-4. PubMed
  7. 7.Mair W. Tipping the energy balance toward longevity. Cell Metabolism 2013; 17:5-6. PubMed
  8. 8.Mair W, Steffen K, Dillin A. SIP-ing the elixir of youth. Cell 2011; 146:859-860. PubMed
  9. 9.Mair W. Six paper synopses for PLoS Biology (2008-2011): Change for the better; "Induced" eyes suggest a path to retinal repair; Reinforcing reinforcement; How normal cells can win the battle for survival against cancer cells; Doubling the dose; A new view of embryogenesis; connective fibers join the dance.
  10. 10.Piper M, Mair W, Partridge L. Comment on Min et al., "Counting calories in Drosophila dietary restriction". Experimental Gerontology 2007; 42:253-255. PubMed

09Research resources and tools shared with the community

  1. 2019-SKI LODGE; single-copy knock-in loci for defined gene expression in C. elegans (Silva-García et al., G3 2019): CRISPR safe-harbor system for tissue-specific single-copy transgenes, used with auxin-inducible degradation for acute, reversible, cell-type-specific protein depletion. Strains deposited with the Caenorhabditis Genetics Center (lab code WBM) and shared directly with laboratories worldwide; pSKI vectors on Addgene.
  2. 2023-SKI TRIP; single-copy knock-in translating ribosome immunoprecipitation toolkit for tissue-specific profiling of actively translated mRNAs (Wester et al., Cell Reports Methods 2023); strains at the CGC, datasets on Mendeley Data and SRA (PRJNA801467).
  3. 2023-Auxin-degron alleles of the mTORC1 pathway (RAGA-1, LET-363/mTOR, Raptor, Rictor, S6K) for spatiotemporal control of nutrient signaling (Smith et al., PLoS Genetics 2023).
  4. 2024-Mitochondrial morphology imaging toolkit; endogenous CRISPR-tagged and ectopic reporters benchmarked against conventional markers (Valera-Alberni et al., Life Science Alliance 2024).
  5. 2024-Mito-NAD(P)H age clocks; label-free, non-destructive FLIM-based predictor of biological age and remaining lifespan at subcellular resolution (Morrow et al., Communications Biology 2024).

10Invited talks

Keynotes, Named Lectures and Featured Symposium Talks

  1. 2028Joint Meeting of C. elegans Metabolism, Aging, Pathogenesis, Stress and Small RNAs (MAPSS) and C. elegans Development, Cell Biology and Gene Expression (DevCell), Madison, WI; Keynote Speaker (scheduled, Jun 21-25).
  2. 2027Academy of Geroscience Annual Conference, Delray Beach, FL; panel moderator, From Models to Mechanisms: Decoding the Biology of Aging (scheduled, Jan 24-27).
  3. 2026Pennington Biomedical Research Center Winter Scientific Symposium Aging Effects on Substrate Utilization, Baton Rouge, LA; invited symposium talk, "Metabolic Flexibility and Healthy Aging" (scheduled, Nov 30).
  4. 2026Harvard Chan Healthy Aging Symposium From Cells to Society: The Science of Extending Healthspan (with Danone Institute North America), Joseph B. Martin Conference Center, Boston; host and speaker, "Metabolic Flexibility and Healthy Aging" (Oct 9).
  5. 2026ASBMB Annual Meeting, National Harbor, MD; invited speaker, symposium Metabolism of Aging (Mar 8).
  6. 2025University of Miami Miller School of Medicine; Dean's Special Lecture, "Metabolic Flexibility and Healthy Aging" (Mar 18).
  7. 2025Gerontological Society of America Annual Scientific Meeting, Boston; symposium talk, "Metabolic Resilience and Healthy Aging" (Nov 15).
  8. 2024UCL Institute of Healthy Ageing 20th Anniversary Symposium, London; Keynote, "Metabolic Flexibility and Healthy Aging" (Jun 17).
  9. 2023Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne; invited speaker, symposium honoring Linda Partridge, "Metabolic Flexibility and Healthy Aging" (Sep 14).
  10. 2022MitOX, University of Oxford; Pollard Lecture, "Metabolic Flexibility, Mitochondrial Dynamics and Healthy Aging" (Apr 8).
  11. 2021AFAR Annual Scientific Symposium; featured speaker (2017 BIG Award), "From Longevity Interventions to Precision Geroscience" (Oct 5).
  12. 2021MeDiC Program, Research Institute of the McGill University Health Centre, Montreal; Keynote, "Metabolic Flexibility, Mitochondrial Dynamics and Healthy Aging" (Nov 19).

Conference and Symposium Presentations

  1. 2026Fusion Membrane Contact Sites Conference, Cancún, Mexico (Nov 3-7, scheduled).
  2. 202613th Aging Research and Drug Discovery (ARDD) Meeting, Harvard University; panelist, “Aging Research in Pharma” (moderator S. D. Narasimhan, Cell Press) (Oct).
  3. 2026Tenth Northeast Glenn Symposium on the Biology of Aging, Yale University, West Haven, CT (Oct 16).
  4. 2026Inaugural Aging Reframed: Bridging Disciplines for Healthy Aging interdisciplinary seminar, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; speaker/convener (May 6).
  5. 2025Fusion 5th Interventions in Aging Conference, Malta; co-chair and speaker (Oct 4-7).
  6. 2024Metabolism, Aging, Pathogenesis, Stress and Small RNAs in C. elegans (MAPS) Meeting, Madison, WI; invited speaker (Jun 20-24).
  7. 2024Fusion Membrane Contact Sites Conference, Cancún, Mexico; invited speaker (Feb 8-11).
  8. 2023NIA Workshop on RNA Metabolism in Aging; invited speaker, "From Longevity Interventions to Precision Geroscience" (Jul 26).
  9. 2023Glenn Foundation Symposium on Aging Research, Harvard Medical School, Boston; invited speaker, "Metabolic Flexibility and Healthy Aging" (May 22).
  10. 2023My Age Group Meeting, London, UK.
  11. 2022MAPS C. elegans Meeting, Madison, WI; invited speaker (Jul 14-18).
  12. 2022Fusion 2nd Metabolism in Health and Disease Conference, Cancún, Mexico; invited speaker, "From Longevity Interventions to Precision Geroscience" (May 13).
  13. 2022CNIO Frontiers Meeting, Madrid, Spain; invited speaker, "Metabolic Flexibility, Mitochondrial Dynamics and Healthy Aging" (May 9).
  14. 2022UCSF Bakar Aging Research Institute Symposium, San Francisco; invited speaker, "Metabolic Flexibility and Healthy Aging" (Jan 20).
  15. 2020Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Mechanisms of Aging Conference; session chair and speaker, "Metabolic Flexibility, Homeodynamics and Healthy Aging" (Sep).
  16. 2020Keystone Symposium: Mechanisms of Aging, Vancouver, Canada; invited speaker, "Metabolic Communication and Longevity" (Feb).
  17. 2020Aging Science Talks (online series); "From Longevity Interventions to Precision Geroscience" (May 5).
  18. 2019Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing Symposium, Cologne; "RNA Splicing and Longevity Interventions" (Nov).
  19. 2019Nature Metabolism Conference: Advances in Metabolic Communication, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; "RNA Splicing and Longevity Interventions" (Oct).
  20. 2019Fusion Interventions in Aging Conference, Nassau, Bahamas; "Novel Molecular Mechanisms Linking RNA Splicing and Longevity" (Mar).
  21. 2019Fusion Mitochondria Conference, Nassau, Bahamas; "Remodeling of Mitochondrial Networks in Pro-Longevity Interventions" (Mar).
  22. 2019My Age Group Meeting, Birmingham, AL.
  23. 2018Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Nutrient Signaling Meeting; "AMPK and mTORC1: Shared or Separable Longevity Modifiers?" (Sep).
  24. 201811th International AMPK Meeting, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada; "AMPK and mTORC1: Shared or Separable Longevity Modifiers?" (Sep).
  25. 2018Frontiers in Mitochondrial Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston (Sep).
  26. 2018Keystone Symposium: Pushing the Limits of Healthspan and Longevity, Hannover, Germany; "AMPK and mTORC1: Shared or Separable Longevity Modifiers?" (May).
  27. 2018My Age Group Inaugural Meeting, Austin, TX; founder and chair, "Known Unknowns" (Feb).
  28. 2017Gordon Research Conference on the Biology of Aging, Les Diablerets, Switzerland; "Contextual Roles for Mitochondrial Network States in Longevity" (Jul).
  29. 2017Marabou Symposium on Nutrition and Human Evolution, Stockholm, Sweden.
  30. 2017Understanding Mechanisms and the Promise of Extending Human Healthspan, Cancún, Mexico; "Mechanisms Linking Energetics and Longevity" (Mar).
  31. 2017Keystone Symposium: Mitochondrial Communication, Taos, NM (Jan).
  32. 2016Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Mechanisms of Aging Conference; session chair and speaker.
  33. 2016Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory PTEN Meeting.
  34. 2016NIA Workshop on Mitochondrial Dynamics, Mitophagy and Aging, Bethesda, MD.
  35. 2016C. elegans Aging, Metabolism, Pathogenesis, Stress and Small RNAs Meeting, Madison, WI; co-organizer and speaker.
  36. 20164th Biennial International Symposium on Age-related Macular Degeneration.
  37. 2016MDI Biological Laboratory: Comparative and Experimental Approaches to Aging Biology Research, Bar Harbor, ME.
  38. 2016Glenn Foundation Symposium, Harvard Medical School, Boston.
  39. 2015Cold Spring Harbor Asia: Molecular Basis of Aging and Disease, Suzhou, China; invited speaker and session chair.
  40. 2015Fondation des Treilles workshop: The Role of Metabolism in Aging and Age-related Disease, France.
  41. 2015Frontiers in Interventions in Aging Conference, Cancún, Mexico.
  42. 2015Annual Symposium of the Jersey Medical Society, Jersey, Channel Islands.
  43. 2015Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Leadership Council Summit.
  44. 2014Keystone Symposium on Aging, Steamboat Springs, CO; invited speaker.
  45. 2014Annual Helmholtz-Nature Medicine Diabetes Conference, Berlin, Germany.
  46. 2014Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory PTEN Meeting.
  47. 2014C. elegans Aging, Metabolism, Pathogenesis, Stress and Small RNAs Meeting, Madison, WI.
  48. 2014NIA New Investigators Forum, Bethesda, MD; NIA Frontiers in Aging and Regeneration Research Course, Atlanta, GA.
  49. 2014Hiroshima Research Center for Healthy Aging (HiHA) Symposium, Japan.
  50. 2013Gordon Research Conference on Aging, Italy; invited talk.
  51. 2013Cold Spring Harbor Asia Genetics of Aging Conference, China.
  52. 2013International C. elegans Meeting, UCLA; chair, Metabolism and Physiology session.
  53. 2013Gerontological Society of America Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA.
  54. 2012Keystone Symposium on Aging, Tokyo, Japan; Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Molecular Genetics of Aging Meeting; FinBioNet Meeting "Revolutionary Bioscience", Tampere, Finland.
  55. 2012C. elegans Aging, Metabolism, Pathogenesis, Stress and Small RNAs Meeting; session chair and poster judge; HMS Genetics Retreat panel "Aging; Truth and Controversy".
  56. 2010-2011Keystone Symposium: New Insights into Healthspan and Diseases of Aging, Lake Tahoe; CSHL PTEN and Molecular Genetics of Aging meetings; Glenn Center symposium, San Diego; 18th International C. elegans Meeting (metabolism workshop), UCLA.
  57. 2004Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Molecular Genetics of Aging Meeting.

Invited Seminars

  1. 2027Joslin Diabetes Center / Longwood Area Diabetes & Metabolism Seminar Series, Boston (Jan 21, scheduled).
  2. 2026University of California Los Angeles, Molecular Biology Institute Seminar Series; "Metabolic Flexibility and Healthy Aging" (Apr 16).
  3. 2026Babraham Institute, Cambridge, UK.
  4. 2026University of Michigan Aging Research Seminar Series, Ann Arbor, MI.
  5. 2026Boston Pepper Center (Older Americans Independence Center) Seminar, Boston (Jan 14).
  6. 2025Department of Environmental Health / NIEHS Center Seminar, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; "Metabolic Flexibility and Healthy Aging" (Nov 12).
  7. 2025Channing Division of Network Medicine Seminar, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston (Nov).
  8. 2025Columbia University Institute of Human Nutrition Seminar Series, New York; "Metabolic Flexibility and Healthy Aging" (Jan 21).
  9. 2025UMass Chan Medical School Seminar, Worcester, MA (Jan).
  10. 2024Harvard Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology Seminar Series, Cambridge; "Metabolic Flexibility and Healthy Aging" (Sep).
  11. 2024Columbia University Irving Medical Center Seminar (host: Y. Suh), New York (Sep 4).
  12. 2024Boston University School of Medicine, Genome Science Institute Seminar; "Metabolic Flexibility and Healthy Aging" (Apr).
  13. 2024MIT / Whitehead Institute Partnership for Science Education; "Is Aging Inevitable?" (Mar).
  14. 2024Yale University Biology of Aging Seminar Series, New Haven; "Metabolic Flexibility and Healthy Aging" (Feb).
  15. 2023UMass Chan Medical School, Metabolic Network Seminar Day (host: D. Guertin); "Metabolic Flexibility and Healthy Aging" (Mar 16).
  16. 2022Dana-Farber Cancer Institute Seminar, Boston; "Metabolic Flexibility, Homeodynamics and Healthy Aging".
  17. 2022Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Seminar, Boston; "Metabolic Flexibility, Mitochondrial Dynamics and Healthy Aging" (Apr 5).
  18. 2022Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, Neuroscience Seminar Series; "Metabolic Flexibility, Mitochondrial Dynamics and Healthy Aging" (Jan 31).
  19. 2022Ohio State University, Davis Heart and Lung Research Institute Seminar Series; "Metabolic Flexibility, Mitochondrial Dynamics and Healthy Aging" (Jan 21).
  20. 2021MitoTalks Online Seminar Series; "Metabolic Flexibility, Mitochondrial Dynamics and Healthy Aging" (May 27).
  21. 2021Harvard Metabolism Faculty Chalk Talk Series; "Metabolic Flexibility, Homeodynamics and Healthy Aging" (Apr 28).
  22. 2021Princeton University Aging Seminar; "From Longevity Interventions to Precision Geroscience" (Mar 19).
  23. 2020Institut Pasteur, Department of Cell Biology and Infection Seminar Series, Paris; "Metabolic Flexibility, Homeodynamics and Healthy Aging" (Oct, remote).
  24. 2020Brown University, MCB Seminar Series, Providence; "RNA Splicing and Longevity Interventions" (Feb).
  25. 2020Massachusetts General Hospital Endocrine Grand Rounds, Boston; "The Molecular Mechanisms of Dietary Restriction" (Jan 14).
  26. 2019Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, Aging and Regeneration Program Seminar, La Jolla; "The Molecular Underpinnings of Lifespan Extension by Dietary Restriction" (Mar 27).
  27. 2019Harvard Medical School Mitochondria Seminar; "RNA Splicing and Longevity Interventions" (Jul 10).
  28. 2018Washington University School of Medicine, Developmental Biology Seminar Series, St. Louis; "AMPK and mTORC1: Shared or Separable Longevity Modifiers?" (Dec).
  29. 2018University of Washington Nathan Shock Center for Aging Research Seminar, Seattle; "AMPK and mTORC1: Shared or Separable Longevity Modifiers?" (Feb 1 & Dec 3).
  30. 2018Harvard Department of Stem Cell and Regenerative Biology Seminar; "AMPK and mTORC1: Shared or Separable Longevity Modifiers?" (Apr 13).
  31. 2018University of Wisconsin-Madison Institute on Aging Seminar Series; "AMPK and mTORC1: Shared or Separable Longevity Modifiers?" (Jan 24).
  32. 2018Harvard Longwood Area Worm Meeting; "AMPK and mTORC1: Shared or Separable Longevity Modifiers?" (Dec 14).
  33. 2017Joslin Diabetes Center Seminar Series, Boston; "AMPK and mTOR: Determinants of Metabolic Health and Longevity" (Nov 30).
  34. 2017AbbVie Center for Alzheimer's Research, Cambridge, MA (Feb 22).
  35. 2017Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Novato, CA; "Neuronal Regulators and Downstream Effectors of Dietary Restriction-Mediated Longevity" (Feb 10).
  36. 2016Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York; Barshop Institute, UT Health San Antonio; Stanford University Frontiers in Aging Seminar Series; Northeastern University Aging Seminar Series; MDI Biological Laboratory Seminar Series; Harvard Molecular Integrated Physiology Seminar; Glenn Center for Aging Biology Symposium; Mass Eye and Ear (Aging and Macular Degeneration).
  37. 2015Baylor College of Medicine Aging Seminar Series, Houston; Institute of Neurobiology, UNAM, Querétaro, Mexico; Molecular and Computational Biology Section, USC, Los Angeles.
  38. 2014Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing, Cologne; Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Endocrine Grand Rounds; Tufts Sackler School Integrated Studies Program Seminar.
  39. 2013Brown University Biology of Aging Seminar Series; University of Tampere Mitochondria Research Center, Finland.
  40. 2012Boston Aging Data Club, Harvard Medical School; Harvard Chan Department of Nutrition Seminar Series.

Public, Policy and Executive Engagement

  1. 2026Harvard Chan India Research Center; panelist, webinar series The Impact of Diets on Non-Communicable Diseases: Evidence and the Next Steps: "Healthy Ageing: Nutrition, Metabolism, and Life Course Pathways to Longer Healthspan" (Oct 13, online).
  2. 2026Massachusetts State House; Statehouse Aging Roundtable with Rep. Stanley, Sen. Jehlen and Sen. DiDomenico: briefing on the biology of aging (Sep 17).
  3. 2026Health Coverage Fellowship (Harvard Chan / Larry Tye), Babson College; dinner panel for health journalists, Living Longer (and Better): Hype vs. Hope in Aging Research (Sep 15).
  4. 2026Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative (ALI); designed and led the two-day Longevity and Healthy Aging Deep Dive, Harvard Business School (Apr 9-10); invited speaker, ALI Aging & Longevity Impact Group (Mar 19).
  5. 2026Thornden School careers week, Hampshire, UK; outreach talk on careers in science (Mar 5, remote).
  6. 2025Massachusetts State House; Briefing on Aging Biology for the Joint Committee on Aging and Independence: opening talk, Introduction to Aging Biology, and expert panel (Nov 20).
  7. 2025Harvard Chan Department of Health Policy and Management Executive Council; invited talk on the biology of aging and the Healthy Aging Initiative (Nov).
  8. 2025Harvard College Aging Initiative (student organization), Harvard Hall; invited talk (Sep 16).
  9. 2025Harvard Chan donor and alumni program, Nantucket, MA; Solving the Puzzle of Healthy Aging (with L. Kubzansky) (Jul 22).
  10. 2025Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative; Longevity and Healthy Aging Deep Dive (May 15).
  11. 2022AFAR Congressional advocacy; sole Massachusetts academic representative in AFAR's meetings with the offices of Senator Edward Markey and Representative Katherine Clark to increase federal investment in geroscience.
  12. 2023Harvard Institute for Learning in Retirement; public lecture, "Is Aging Inevitable?" (Oct 27).
  13. 2023-25Frontiers in Alzheimer's and Aging Research (FrA2RE) NIA summer course, New Orleans; faculty lecturer, "Is Aging Inevitable?" / "Life Lessons from a Worm" (also 2018).
  14. 2021Harvard, Princeton and Yale Alumni Club of Naples; webinar, "Is Aging Inevitable?" (Mar).
  15. 2020Meet-the-Scientists Panel, Boston Public Library.
  16. 2017Harvard Chan Alumni Weekend; Reimagining Our Future: Public Health Perspectives on Aging and Longevity, "The Longevity Dividend: Is Declining Health in Old Age Inevitable?" (Oct 14).
  17. 2017Harvard Journalists' Program; "Is Aging a Risk Factor We Can Reduce?" (May 15).
  18. 2016Boston HUBweek Aging Research Panel.
  19. 2014Harvard Chan Forum expert panel, Living Longer and Happier Lives.

11Meetings and courses organized

  1. 2027Co-chair (with L. Partridge and H. Jasper), Fusion 6th Interventions in Aging Conference, Durrës, Albania (May 16-19).
  2. 2026Host and organizer (with L. Kubzansky and C. Peterson), inaugural Harvard Chan Healthy Aging Symposium From Cells to Society: The Science of Extending Healthspan, Boston (Oct 9; ~200 attendees; keynote D. Promislow).
  3. 2026Organizer (with R. Anderson and A. Webb), Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Mechanisms of Aging Meeting (Sep 22-26).
  4. 2026Convener, Aging Reframed: Bridging Disciplines for Healthy Aging; inaugural interdisciplinary aging seminar, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health (May 6).
  5. 2025-26Designer and lead faculty, Harvard Advanced Leadership Initiative Longevity and Healthy Aging Deep Dive (May 2025; Apr 2026).
  6. 2025Co-chair (with L. Partridge and H. Jasper), Fusion 5th Interventions in Aging Conference, Malta (Oct 4-7; 77 participants).
  7. 2023, 2025Co-founding Director, MBL Biology of Aging Advanced Research Training Course, Woods Hole, MA (four weeks, 18 students per cohort).
  8. 2024Organizer (with S. Imai and M. Wang), Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Mechanisms of Aging Meeting.
  9. 2022Organizer (with M. Wang), Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Mechanisms of Aging Meeting (NIH R13 conference grant).
  10. 2018-Founder and organizer, My Age Group annual peer-mentoring meetings (Austin 2018; Birmingham 2019; London 2023).
  11. 2016Co-organizer, Aging, Stress, Pathogenesis, Small RNAs and Metabolism; International C. elegans Topic Meeting, Madison, WI.

12Teaching

Course Director

  1. 2020-2023; 2027-Course Director, MET 212 / BPH 310qc Molecular Mechanisms of Aging, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. Redesigned for Spring 2027 as a lecture-plus-paper-discussion seminar for HILS doctoral students with guest faculty from across Harvard.
  2. 2012-2018Course Co-Director (with J. Mitchell), BPH 310qc Molecular Mechanisms of Aging.
  3. 2021-2023Instructor, BPH 205 / MET 250 Advanced Topics in Molecular Metabolism.

Invited Lectures and Course Faculty

  1. 2017-SCRB 190 Understanding Aging: Degeneration, Regeneration and the Scientific Search for the Fountain of Youth (A. Wagers); lectures on evolutionary theories of aging and dietary restriction (next: Nov 16, 2026).
  2. 2017-NUT 202 Biochemical Basis of Human Nutrition; annual lecture on dietary restriction and longevity (most recently Apr 14, 2026).
  3. 2021-2025BPH Summer Internship Program and G1 Faculty Talks; Creating a Narrative: How to Give a Scientific Talk (annual).
  4. 2018BPH 301; instructor, Science Communication to Lay Audiences module.
  5. 2012-2017BPH 301 Biological Sciences Seminars; invited lecturer.
  6. 2023, 2025MBL Biology of Aging course; lectures on dietary restriction, metabolic flexibility and (in)equity in healthy aging.
  7. 2015-2020NIA Summer Course on Aging Biology for under-represented minority students (Atlanta, Woods Hole, New Orleans); faculty.

13Mentoring and training

Postdoctoral Fellows

  1. 2025-Dr. Jamie Kraft (co-mentored with C. Peterson from 2026). Swedish Research Council Fellow.
  2. 2021-Dr. Aditi Prabhakar. Moore Foundation Fellow.
  3. 2021-Dr. Christopher Morrow. NIA F32 and K99/R00 awardee.
  4. 2021-2025Dr. Miriam Valera-Alberni; now Junior Lecturer, University of Lausanne (UNIL), Switzerland.
  5. 2021-2025Dr. Laura Wester (co-mentored with A. Antebi, MPI Cologne); now Postdoctoral Scientist, Max Planck Institute for Biology of Ageing.
  6. 2018-2025Dr. Arpit Sharma; now Principal Investigator, Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University.
  7. 2019-2023Dr. Vanessa Laversenne; now Senior Research Scientist, Broad Institute.
  8. 2019-2020Dr. Malini Bhadra; now Global Support and Service Trainer, Thermo Fisher Scientific.
  9. 2018-2020Dr. Porsha Howell; now Senior Scientist, MBX Biosciences.
  10. 2017-2018Dr. Suvagata Roy Chowdhury; now MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, University of Cambridge.
  11. 2016-2017Dr. Ryann Guayasamin; now Lecturer, University of Vermont.
  12. 2015-2023Dr. Carlos Silva-García; now Assistant Professor (tenure-track), Brown University.
  13. 2014-2017Dr. Heather Weir; now Associate Director, Astex Pharmaceuticals.
  14. 2013-2022Dr. Caroline Heintz (latterly Research Associate / Lab Manager); now Head of Laboratory, MGZ Medical Genetics Center, Munich.
  15. 2012-2018Dr. Kristopher Burkewitz; now Assistant Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University.

Doctoral Students (Harvard, unless noted)

  1. 2019-2025Maria Perez Matos, Ph.D. (BPH). NIA F31 awardee.
  2. 2018-2024Hannah Smith, Ph.D. (BPH). NIA F31 awardee.
  3. 2022-2023Ewelina Nowak (Molecules, Cells and Organisms, Harvard FAS); now Ph.D. student, Lee Lab, Harvard University.
  4. 2021-2023Samuel Lapp (BPH); now Postdoctoral Fellow, Salk Institute for Biological Studies.
  5. 2020-2023Noel Jackson (BBS, Harvard Medical School). NSF Graduate Research Fellow; now Ph.D. candidate, Miller Lab, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
  6. 2017-2022Pallas Yao, Ph.D. (BPH). NIA F31 awardee; continued in the lab as a postdoctoral researcher; now Domain Researcher and Scientific Writer, Avandar Labs.
  7. 2016-2021Sneha Dutta, Ph.D. (BPH); now Manager, Putnam.
  8. 2014-2018Caroline Escoubas, Ph.D. (University of Nice, France); now Assistant Member, Center of Excellence in Neuro-Oncology Sciences, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital (2026).
  9. 2012-2018Yue Zhang, Ph.D. (BPH); now Senior Director, Competitive Intelligence (Oncology R&D), AstraZeneca.

Doctoral rotation students. Catherine Baranowski (2012), Yue Zhang (2012), Joseph Beyene (2014), Jim Valcourt (Systems Biology, HMS, 2014), Ibrahim Kurt (2015), Zhouwei Zhang (2016), Sneha Dutta (2016), Anita Reddy (BBS, 2017), Pallas Yao (2017), Alexander Plesa (BBS, 2018), Hannah Smith (2018), Pallavi Joshi (BBS, 2019), Maria Perez Matos (2019), Christopher Petty (BBS, 2020), Luke Murphy (BBS, 2020), Noel Jackson (BBS, 2020), Samuel Lapp (2021), Ewelina Nowak (MCO, 2022), Nancy Pohl (2022).

Postbaccalaureate researchers. Lourdes Pajuelo (2022; now Ph.D. student, Weill Cornell), Ana Gallegos Cruz (2024; now Master's student, École Normale Supérieure, Paris).

Undergraduate researchers. Elissa Lin (Harvard, 2013; now Clinical Researcher, Brigham and Women's Hospital), Ana Paula Morales Allende (Barnard, 2013; now Vascular Surgeon, Conway Medical Center), Jeeyun Kim (UC Berkeley, 2014; now Senior Clinical Scientist, Abbott), Staci Thornton (UConn, 2015; now Research Specialist, HHMI), Raymond Laboy Morales (UNAM, 2015; now Research Fellow, Joslin Diabetes Center), Kaitlyn Izzo (Northeastern, 2016; now Principal Scientist, Eli Lilly), Juan Ramirez (Brandeis, 2016; now Senior Data Scientist, Brightside), Emina Tabakovic (UMass, 2016), Sydney Brumfield (Wellesley, 2016; now Clinical Trial Project Manager, Candel Therapeutics), Nicole Clark (FrA2RE Scholar, 2016), Victoria Cottrell (Wellesley, 2021; now Ph.D. student, Harvard Medical School), Catherin DeSousa (2022; now Ph.D. student, UC Berkeley), Cailin Cronin (2024).

Visiting students. Tinatini Tavhelidse (M.S., University of Heidelberg, 2012; now postdoctoral researcher, Heidelberg University), Caroline Escoubas (M.D./Ph.D., University of Nice, 2014), Chia-Lin (Iris) Lee (M.S., National Cheng Kung University, Taiwan, 2016), Dana Fleischhauer (M.S., University of Heidelberg, 2019; now Senior Consultant, Temedica).

Research Staff

  1. 2015-Dr. Anne Lanjuin, Senior Research Scientist.
  2. 2026-Emily Levesque and Younjoo (Kate) Roh, Research Assistants.
  3. 2026Cailin Cronin, Research Assistant; now M.S. student in Pharmaceutical Engineering.
  4. 2021-2025Peter Stine, Research Assistant; now Ph.D. student, New York University.
  5. 2011-2020Ianessa Morantte, Senior Scientist (2011-15; now Head of Therapeutics R&D, Prolific Machines); Robin Yeo (2013; now Founder, Koerner-Yeo Biological Data Consulting), Nicole Clark (2016-18; now Family Medicine resident, The Ohio State University), Emina Tabakovic (2017-18; now Emina Gulbis, OB/GYN resident physician, Banner University Medical Center Phoenix), Rohan Sehgal (2018-19; now neurology resident physician, UF College of Medicine, Jacksonville), Peter Stine (2019-20), Andrew Larocque (2020; now Engineer, Portal Biotechnologies), Research Assistants.

Mentoring Programs, Outreach and Inclusion

  1. 2021-Senior Mentor, Harvard Catalyst Career Catalyst Mentoring Program (2026-27 cohort active).
  2. 2022-Faculty mentor, Frontiers in Alzheimer's and Aging Research (FrA2RE), NIA course for under-represented undergraduates.
  3. 2018-Founder, My Age Group peer-mentoring network for early- and mid-career aging-biology faculty (ten PIs, US and Europe, gender-balanced); annual retreats and continuous peer support; has generated multiple collaborations, shared grants and co-authored papers.
  4. 2026-27Faculty Advisor, Harvard Chan Student Aging Club (with L. Kubzansky and R. Palaza).
  5. 2021-2023Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging Facilitator; selected for the inaugural 18-member Harvard Chan facilitator cohort (two-year program).
  6. 2020-2023Director (2020) and steering committee (2021-23), BPH Summer Internship Program for under-represented minority students.
  7. 2020-Research Scholar Initiative Meet the Professor, Harvard GSAS; Mair Lab virtual lab tours for high-school students in under-served districts (2021-).
  8. PracticeLab runs on a written mentoring compact and lab manual, a pre-joining mentoring questionnaire, an annual anonymous lab-climate survey with results presented to the group, structured RADAR one-on-ones (Review, Agenda, Discussion, Action items, Reflect) and an annual State of the Lab address; 22 trainees have gone on to faculty, industry and postdoctoral positions.
  9. 2019-2021Training: CIMER Mentor Training for Biomedical Researchers (2019); IGEN Equity in Graduate Admissions Workshop (2020); Culturally Aware Mentoring, Harvard Advising Project (2021).

14Professional service

Editorial

  1. 2025-Founding Editorial Board, Geromedicine.
  2. 2024-Academic Editor, PLOS Biology.
  3. 2025-2026Guest Academic Editor, PLOS Biology special collection Lessons Learned from the Biology of Aging; curated the collection, selected and invited the contributing authors, and authored the introductory editorial (2026).
  4. 2011-2020Review Editor, Frontiers in Genetics of Aging.
  5. PastEditorial boards: Nutrition and Healthy Aging; npj Aging and Mechanisms of Disease; iScience (Cell Press; resigned 2023).
  6. Ad hoc reviewerNature, Science, Cell, Nature Aging, Nature Cell Biology, Nature Medicine, Nature Metabolism, Nature Communications, Cell Metabolism, Molecular Cell, Cell Reports, Science Advances, Science Translational Medicine, PNAS, eLife, PLOS Biology, PLOS Genetics, Current Biology, Development, Aging Cell, Ageing Research Reviews, Diabetes, Journal of Cell Science and others (2006-).

Grant Review

  1. 2020-2024Permanent Member, NIH Cellular Mechanisms of Aging and Development (CMAD) Study Section; ad hoc member 2014, 2016, 2018.
  2. 2020-AFAR National Scientific Advisory Council; AFAR / Glenn Foundation Breakthroughs in Gerontology (BIG) Award selection committee.
  3. 2017-American Federation for Aging Research; grant reviewer.
  4. 2014-National Science Foundation; ad hoc reviewer.
  5. 2013-Alzheimer's Association; grant reviewer.
  6. InternationalBiotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (UK); Human Frontier Science Program; Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung (EKFS); Research Grants Council CERG (Hong Kong/China); ad hoc.
  7. LocalHarvard Chan Postdoctoral Association travel grants; HHMI Gilliam Fellowship faculty review committee (2020).

External Reviewer: Promotion, Tenure and Appointment

  1. 2025-External reviewer for seven tenure, promotion and senior appointment cases: Columbia Mailman School of Public Health; Stanford University School of Medicine; USC Keck School of Medicine; USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology; Technion - Israel Institute of Technology; University of Utah; Augusta University. Candidates are not named, to preserve the confidentiality of the review process.

Professional Societies

  1. 2025-Academy of Geroscience (elected member).
  2. 2013-Genetics Society of America; Gerontological Society of America.
  3. 2011-American Aging Association.
  4. 2008-2011National Association of Science Writers.

15University service

Committees

  1. 2026-2029Member, Harvard Chan School Committee on Appointments, Reappointments and Promotions (SCARP); Department of Molecular Metabolism representative.
  2. 2025Harvard University Committee on Rights and Responsibilities (UCRR).
  3. 2024-2025Faculty Search Committee (Assistant Professor), Department of Molecular Metabolism.
  4. 2022-2024Harvard Chan Postdoctoral Advisory Committee.
  5. 2021-2024Harvard Chan Committee for the Advancement of Women Faculty.
  6. 2020-PQE Steering Committee, Biological Sciences in Public Health (BPH) Ph.D. Program.
  7. 2020-2024Founding member, MET Committee on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
  8. 2018-2023Faculty Chair, MET Seminar Series and MET-a-Data Club.
  9. 2018-2021Committee on Educational Policy; Yerby Postdoctoral Fellowship Advisory Board and Admissions Committee (2018-20).
  10. 2017-Facilitation of Interdisciplinary Research Task Force.
  11. 2015-2017Faculty Council, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
  12. 2011-BPH Ph.D. Program Admissions and Selection Committees; BPH Faculty Advisory Board (2015-).
  13. 2014-2015GCD Departmental Retreat organizer (2014); GCD Equipment Committee (2015).

Dissertation, Advisory and Qualifying Exam Committees

  1. 2026Qualifying exam: Casey Tsimbal (Apfeld lab, Northeastern University). Defense (Chair): Kiwi Florido (Sarosiek lab, Environmental Health), also DAC Chair 2021-26.
  2. 2025Defense: Kejun (Albert) Ying (Gladyshev/Sinclair labs, HMS); Ailsa Jeffries (UMass Chan Medical School, external examiner).
  3. 2022-2023Defense (Chair): Alexander Plesa (Church lab, HMS Genetics, 2022). Defense: J. Coraor (Broad Institute, 2023). PQE (Chair): Katlyn Gabriel (Grekka lab, HMS), Ryan Prakash (Churchman lab, HMS), Nalat Siwapornchai (Sinclair lab, 2023).
  4. 2020-2021Defense: Kristine Werling (Catteruccia lab), Meghan Torrence (Manning lab), Joseph Beyene (Lu lab). PQE (Chair): Krystle Kalafut (Manning lab), Albert Ying (Gladyshev lab); PQE: Casey Lumpkin (Northeastern).
  5. 2016-2019Defense: Siming Ma (Gladyshev lab), Andrea Andraski (Sacks lab). DAC: Joseph Beyene; Charlotte Kelley (Cram lab, Northeastern); Kayla Davis (Schwarz lab); Aditi Jatkar (Chair; Farese/Walther labs); Michael MacArthur (Chair; Mitchell lab); Alexander Plesa (Church lab). PQE: Jamaji Nwanaji-Enwerem (Chair), Aditi Jatkar, Sophie Evarts (Chair), Joanna Krawczyk (Chair).
  6. 2012-2014Defense: Sihao Liu (Lee lab), Khanichi Charles (Hotamisligil lab), Natalie Moroz (Blackwell lab). PQE: Jordan Gallinetti (Mitchell lab).

16Selected media

  1. BackgroundWorked in journalism before graduate school and as an accredited freelance science writer (National Association of Science Writers) during postdoctoral training; regular expert commentator on aging science.
  2. 2026Health for All. Starting Here.; Harvard Chan Office of Development and Alumni Relations annual giving campaign: featured faculty video profile on healthy aging research (one of two faculty profiled; YouTube, alumni email and School social channels, Nov).
  3. 2026The New York Times; "His Harvard Lab Was Thriving. Then Came the Cuts." (J. Russell, Mar 13).
  4. 2026Harvard Gazette; "Living longer, disease-free" (Oct); Harvard Thinking podcast (Harvard Gazette); "How super-agers keep their brains young" (Apr 15).
  5. 2025-26The LIVING Room podcast (The WNDR Lab); two featured episodes: "The Science of Actually Reversing Your Biological Age" and "Why Staying Healthy Matters More Than Living Longer".
  6. 2025The New York Times; "What Your Face Reveals About Your Biological Age" (May 8) and "Low-Cost Tips for Longevity" (Apr 10); expert commentary.
  7. 2024Harvard Chan School Director's Symposium: Longevity & Healthy Aging (livestreamed panel); Harvard Chan News; "Life expectancy may be reaching upper limits; for now"; CBC Radio interview (Nov).
  8. 2019The Washington Post; "Five Myths About Aging" (Sep 20, author); Harvard Public Health magazine; "The Aging Game" (feature).
  9. 2017Harvard Gazette; "Intermittent fasting may be center of increasing lifespan" (a top-5 most-read Gazette article); Reddit Ask-Me-Anything on RNA splicing and aging (Harvard Chan).
  10. 2016Boston Magazine; "The Science of Getting Old" (interview); Medium: The Ageing Issue; "This Mortal Coil" (essay); Harvard Chan press release; "Uncovering a 'smoking gun' in age-related disease" (Nature paper).
  11. 2015New Statesman; "The God Quest: Why Humans Long for Immortality" (long-read, expert contributor).
  12. EarlierThis Week in Health podcast; "The Plasticity of the Aging Process" (Harvard Chan School, Mar 2018); Harvard Club of Naples webinar; "Is Aging Inevitable?" (2021).

17Patents

  1. PendingUS 2021/0071257 (application 15/735,339; published 2019); Compositions and Methods for Maintaining Splicing Fidelity. Inventors: Mair WB, Heintz C. Harvard University.