Aging Research
Aging Research at UNC Charlotte integrates molecular, cellular and organismal approaches to understand the fundamental mechanisms that drive aging and age-associated disease. The focus group brings together researchers working on stress responses, proteostasis, genome integrity, metabolism, immunity and disease (age-associated disease, cancer, neurodegenerative disease) with the goal to identifying cross-disciplinary synergies and advancing collaborative research in aging and longevity at UNC Charlotte and beyond.
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Aging arises from interconnected biological processes, known as the “Hallmarks of Aging”, that progressively erode cellular function, tissue integrity, and organismal resilience.
These hallmarks span molecular damage, disregulated stress responses, failures in intercellular communication, genome instability and epigenetic alterations among many others, that together drive chronic disease and functional decline.
At UNC Charlotte, aging research is interdisciplinary, integrating molecular biology, systems biology, bioinformatics, and translational science. The Aging Research Focus Group was established in 2026 and is led by Dr. Patricija van Oosten-Hawle. By studying how aging mechanisms interact across tissues and environmental contexts, our researchers seek to uncover strategies that promote adaptive stress responses, extend health-span, and improve quality of life across the lifespan.
