Charles Institute Seminar Series 2024-25: ''Mechanisms of brain aging and healthspan determination'' by Guest Speaker Prof. David Walker
Wednesday, 18 June, 2025
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Date of Talk: Wednesday, June 18th, 2025 @12PM
Location: In Person and Online Via Zoom
Talk Title: Mechanisms of brain aging and healthspan determination
Speaker Details: Prof. David Walker, PhD, University of California, Los Angeles
Short Biography:
I completed my undergraduate degree in Genetics at Queen’s University Belfast. I then went on to complete both Master’s and Ph.D. degrees at the University of Manchester. I carried out postdoctoral work at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), where I received training in Drosophila genetics in the laboratory of Seymour Benzer and training in mitochondrial biology in the laboratory of Giuseppe Attardi. I established my independent research group at UCLA in 2007.
Abstract for talk:
The effects of aging on the brain are widespread and can have dramatic implications on the overall health of an organism. Chronic sterile inflammation is an important hallmark of brain aging that is intimately linked with senescence and frailty. However, fundamental questions remain regarding the molecular, cellular and inter-organ signaling mechanisms that drive neuroinflammation and brain aging. Indeed, little is known regarding the causal relationships between pro-inflammatory signaling from distal organ systems, the cellular hallmarks of brain aging and healthspan.
In this seminar, I will discuss the interplay between actin dynamics, brain aging and healthspan. In addition, I will discuss recent work examining the role of intestinal barrier dysfunction as a driver of brain aging phenotypes.
Charles Institute Seminar Series 2025-26: ''Temporo-Spatial Organization of Amniote Integument (Skin): a Bird’s-Eye View'' by Guest Speaker Prof. Cheng-Ming Chuong MD., PhD.
Friday, 5 September, 2025
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Date of Talk: Wednesday, September 17th, 2025 @ 2 PM
Location: Online Via Zoom
Talk Title: Temporo-Spatial Organization of Amniote Integument (Skin): a Bird’s-Eye View
Speaker Details: Prof. Cheng-Ming Chuong MD., PhD. Uni. of Southern California, Los Angeles, USA.
Short Biography:
Dr Cheng-Ming Chuong received his MD from Taiwan University (1978) and PhD in Developmental & Molecular Biology from Rockefeller University (1983). He moved to the University of Southern California in 1988, where he is currently a professor of pathology. Ming directs the Laboratory of Tissue Development and Engineering. Using the integument as his research model, his lab learned how to guide stem cells in morphogenesis during development, regeneration, evolution, as well as stem cell engineering. He has promoted the "topobiology" concept; crucial for organization of biological architectures. Ming has published more than 290 papers (H-index 86) on the biology of integuments in top journals, incl. Nature, Science, & Cell. His work on the Evo-Devo of feathers contributed new understanding of “The Birth of Birds”, chosen by Science journal as one of the 10 major breakthroughs in 2014.
Abstract for talk:
During development and regeneration, distinct cell types coordinate morphogenesis and differentiation to assemble into higher-order tissue architectures. The avian integument offers a powerful model system for dissecting these principles, as it displays striking periodic patterning and remarkable diverse appendage form. Tissue interaction studies and single-cell technologies help achieve new understanding of underlying mechanisms. We focus on two representative aspects: the emergence of periodic patterns in developing chicken skin, and the temporo-spatial diversification of appendage phenotypes in chicken variants such as Polish and Phoenix. We highlight how cells self-organize via dynamic communication, and how crosstalk between biochemical signaling and biophysical forces shapes tissue patterns.