Dr. Collins, a post-doctoral fellow working in Dr. Richard Loeser’s lab, was selected to receive the $120,000, two-year grant following a rigorous scientific competition held by the American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR). His research currently focuses on determining how age-related increases in oxidative stress levels contribute to disordered cell signaling in joint tissues to promote the development and progression of osteoarthritis (OA).
Dr. Collins’ research aims to determine how age-related oxidative stress modifies the activity of a protein called sirtuin 6, which has been shown to increase the lifespan of model organisms.
Establishing the importance of sirtuin 6 activity in joint tissues and defining how the cell signaling capabilities of sirtuin 6 are altered as we age will provide us with a better understanding of how aging contributes to the development of OA. This could lead to new targeted therapies that slow or stop OA progression.