Pinchas Cohen, dean of the USC Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, has been awarded a two-year, $200,000 Glenn Foundation for Medical Research Breakthroughs in Gerontology (BIG) Award. The award provides $200,000 for research aimed at discoveries to address human aging and healthspan.
With the support of the award, Cohen will investigate a mitochondrial protein, humanin (HN), that plays a role in aging and longevity.
Upon receiving the BIG Award, Cohen said, “This grant provides unique support for my research, along with recognition of the importance of such investigations. We’ve identified molecules derived from mitochondria that may be important diagnostic and potentially therapeutic targets for diseases of aging. This research is exciting because it is part of a larger effort focused on understanding the activity of these peptides and how they may reveal new methods for drug development for age-related diseases.”
“Our aim is to support research that leads to a greater understanding of biological aging that will contribute to the development of treatments or preventive measures that extend human healthspan,” noted Mark R. Collins, president of The Glenn Foundation for Medical Research. Since 2005, the Breakthroughs in Gerontology (BIG) Awards have provided more than $5,800,000 to 30 investigators nationwide. Awardees are selected by a committee of distinguished scientists working in the field of aging research.
“We are pleased to collaborate with The Glenn Foundation for Medical Research to translate the knowledge in the basic biology of aging into therapies and interventions that will help us all live healthier and longer as we grow older,” said American Federation for Aging Research Executive Director Stephanie Lederman.
Release courtesy of the American Federation for Aging Research.
