UConn Center on Aging Graduate Assistants

Nathan Gasek and Blake Torrance UConn Center on Aging graduate assistants, enrolled in the UConn MD/Ph.D. and Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences training programs, respectively are winners of 2021 American Foundation for Aging Research (AFAR) scholarships. The Diana Jacobs Kalman/AFAR Scholarships for Research in the Biology of Aging aim to give students the chance to learn more about the field of aging research, as well as increase their understanding of the challenges involved in improving the quality of life for older people. The program gives students $5,000 scholarships each to conduct a three-to-six-month research project. With his mentor Dr. Ming Xu, Gasek will be “Examining p21High Senescent Cell Accumulation in Alzheimer’s Disease Pathogenesis,” while Torrance with his mentor Dr. Laura Haynes will be “Investigating the Role of the Senescent Environment in Shaping T cell Immunity following Influenza Vaccination.” This year UConn was the only institution to receive two Diana Jacobs Kalman/AFAR Scholarships.