Fall 2024 Grantee Highlight:
Omar Abudayyeh

Omar Abudayyeh, PhD
Investigator, Brigham and Women’s Hospital

Jonathan Gootenberg, PhD
Investigator, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (Collaborator)

Aging represents a complex biological process marked by declining cellular function across multiple molecular pathways. This project will create a comprehensive map revealing how specific genes influence aging at the single-cell level. While recent advances like young blood transfusion studies and partial cellular reprogramming have shown promise in rejuvenating aged cells, a systematic understanding of the genetic drivers controlling cellular aging remains elusive. The project will develop molecular “aging clocks” for seven key cell types harvested from donors across different age groups. Using cutting-edge genomic technologies, the Abudayyeh and Gootenberg Labs will screen the entire human genome for transcription factors and secreted proteins that modulate cellular age. By identifying both universal aging mechanisms that work across tissues and tissue-specific pathways, this work aims to establish general principles of aging biology while developing targeted therapeutic interventions that could extend healthy lifespan through cellular rejuvenation.