Mitochondria provide the cell with the energy they need to run on, but damaged mitochondria can be highly deleterious to cells. In a large cell like a neuron, getting the right number of mitochondria to the right part of the cell to provide for its needs can be crucial to its health. Clearing out the damaged mitochondria is equally important...

We propose to study the importance of a cellular signaling pathway, termed the P13K/Akt/Daf16 pathway, for determining the life span of cells and multi-cellular organisms. Disruption of the P13K/Akt pathway has previously been shown to affect the life span of the invertebrate organism C. elegans, a nematode. We plan to extend these...

Much of our adult behavior reflects the neural circuits sculpted by experience in infancy and early childhood. At no other time in life does the surrounding environment so potently shape brain function - from basic motor skills to language. Understanding how our mental agility waxes and wanes with age carries an impact far beyond neuroscience,...