Faculty Members Receive Aging Seed Funding

UB awarded the $250,000 in seed funding to bolster aging research and development of healthy aging initiatives. Funding was administered by the Office of the Vice President for Health Sciences with support from the Office of the Provost.

“The population in Buffalo is aging rapidly because people tend to stay in our region,” says Allison Brashear, MD, MBA, UB’s vice president for health sciences and dean of the Jacobs School. “Aging affects not only those who are getting older, but also caregivers and our health care systems. It’s critical to advance research and implement innovative solutions that can help people remain healthy and independent as they age.” 

Seed funding is integral to allowing researchers to collect the preliminary data needed to apply for federal funding or other additional support.

The researchers, and their descriptions of their funded projects, are below.

● Ramkumar T. Annamalai, PhD, assistant professor of biomedical engineering

“Enhancing Joint Preservation with Intra-Articular Sirtuin Activation to Alleviate Chondrocyte Senescence-Tackling Osteoarthritis in Aging”

As we age, our joints undergo changes that can lead to osteoarthritis (OA), a condition that causes pain and stiffness and is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Our research is exploring a groundbreaking approach to treat OA by focusing on aging cells in the joints, known as "senescent" or "zombie" cells. These cells stop functioning properly over time and contribute to joint damage. By using innovative nanotechnologies to deliver targeted therapies, we aim to rejuvenate these aging cells, reduce inflammation, and slow or even stop the progression of OA. This approach could offer new hope to millions of older adults facing joint pain and reduced mobility.

● Anna Blumental-Perry, PhD, assistant professor of biochemistry 

“Exploring the Mechanisms of Cigarette Smoke-Induced Pericyte Malfunction in the Aging Lung and Heart”

Cigarette smoking is a leading cause of lung and heart diseases, accelerating the premature aging of these organs. Smoking is much more prevalent in people belonging to low social-economical groups, and related to it, pathologies are often over-represented in those groups of patients.

Our research focuses on identifying early factors that drive this abnormal aging process. We aim to understand the mechanisms of this premature aging with the goal to develop strategies to prevent it and related diseases.

● Elsa Bou Ghanem, PhD, associate professor of microbiology and immunology

“The Role of the Extracellular Adenosine Pathway in the Age-Driven Susceptibility to Pulmonary Infections”

As we age, our immune system weakens, leading to an increased risk of infections, including pneumonia. This study aims to understand how age-related changes in the extracellular adenosine pathway, a component of the immune response, affect the body’s defense against pneumonia. This can help us identify new immune-targeting therapies to combat the susceptibility to infections during aging.

● Jennifer A. Campbell, PhD, MPH, associate professor of medicine

“Developing a Home-Based Intervention for Minority Adults With Cardiometabolic Disease, Cognitive Impairment, and Dementia”

Older adults with cardiometabolic diseases experience an accelerated risk for developing cognitive impairment and dementia, particularly older minoritized adults. The goal of this study is to use a mixed methods design to explore facilitators and barriers to integrated home-based care for older adults with cardiometabolic diseases, cognitive impairment, and dementia. This study will provide needed data for large scale community-based programs to support policy development for Buffalo’s older adult population living with cardiometabolic diseases who are at risk for developing cognitive impairment and dementia.

● Stewart Clark, PhD, associate professor of pharmacology and toxicology

“Proteomic Profiling of Tau Post-Translational Modifications in Aging and Disease”

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a rare neurodegenerative disease that is driven by the aggregation of a specific protein (tau) within brain circuits. Our team has devised the only preclinical model that has progressive pathology and behavioral deficits reminiscent of PSP. We will identify and characterize the different forms of tau as it spreads and aggregates in the brain to understand how tau becomes pathological and hopefully identify pre-disease forms of tau to identify the disease in its earliest stages.