Inflammation/Immunology Research Group

Jenna Bartley, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the Center on Aging and the Department of Immunology

Dr. Bartley carries out translational research into human aging with a focus on how immune responses and physical function decline as we get older and, importantly, ways to prevent these declines. She aims to bridge the gap between bench and bedside with her translational studies that utilize murine models, cell culture work, and human clinical trials. The primary focus of her work is aimed at advancing the design and testing of geroscience-guided therapies. She is particularly interested in the interrelated aspects of immune responses, metabolism, and physical function. Current key areas of her research explore the utility of metabolic modulators and senolytics as geroscience-guided interventions. Overall, her multidisciplinary research aims to uncover common pathways among the aging process and to develop potential interventions to prevent age-related declines in immune responses and help older adults maintain their independence into late life.

Breno Satler Diniz, MD, Ph.D., Associate Professor in the Center on Aging and the Department of Psychiatry

Dr. Diniz’s lab is focused on investigating how age-related changes in biological processes (the Pillars of Biological Aging) affect the development and outcomes of late-life mental and neuropsychiatric disorders and how it translates into the repurpose or development of novel interventions to treat and prevent these disorders across the lifespan. This is a new area of investigation combining the fundamental aspects of Geroscience and Neurobiology of Neuropsychiatric disorders. Dr. Diniz uses a translational medicine approach, including the evaluation of multimodal biomarkers, focusing on peripheral and central biomarkers, combined with complex analytical approaches to address different research questions related to the interaction between the biology of aging and neuropsychiatric disorders.

Laura Haynes, Ph.D. FGSA, Professor in the Center on Aging and the Department of Immunology

Dr. Haynes is a prominent figure in the field of immunology, particularly in the context of aging and its effects on immune responses. As a researcher working in aging and gerontology for over 30 years, her primary focus lies in understanding how the aging process influences the immune system’s ability to respond to infections and vaccinations. This area of study is crucial, given the increased susceptibility of older individuals to infectious diseases and the importance of vaccination in mitigating these risks.

One key aspect of her current research is the exploration of senescent cells and their role in immune function during aging. Senescent cells are cells that have stopped dividing and are associated with aging and age-related diseases. Understanding how these cells impact immune responses can provide valuable insights into developing strategies to enhance vaccination efficacy and improve overall immune health in older adults. This work is important for advancing our understanding of the complex interplay between aging, the immune system, and infectious diseases. Her findings have the potential to inform the development of novel interventions and therapies aimed at promoting healthy aging and reducing the burden of age-related infections.

George A. Kuchel, MD CM, FRCP, AGSF, FAAAS, Professor of Medicine, Travelers Chair in Geriatrics and Gerontology, Director UConn Center on Aging

Dr Kuchel is an accomplished physician-scientist whose career has been devoted to aging research and to training the next generation of research leaders in the field of Translational Geroscience. His research has focused on establishing the role of inflammation, related immune factors, and other facets of biological aging in late-life function, with a particular emphasis on host defense, mobility, cognition, and voiding disorders. In order to move the field from a description of associations to an understanding of mechanisms, his work has always sought to overcome barriers between studies involving human cohorts and research conducted using cells and animal models.

Dr Kuchel has also pioneered work in the new field of Precision Gerontology. This is an effort to leverage discoveries in aging research towards clinical interventions that are more precise and effective by virtue of better addressing increasing heterogeneity with aging. In addition to the UConn Older Americans Independence Pepper Center (P30 AG067988; Kuchel – contact MPI), the UConn Center on Aging plays a leadership role in geroscience as a founding site for the NIA Translational Geroscience Network (R33 AG061456; Kuchel – MPI), the KAPP-Sen Common Funds SenNET Tissue Mapping Center (U54AG075941; Kuchel – contact MPI), and the NIA Geroscience Education and Training Network (R25 AG073119; Kuchel – contact MPI).