Faculty Recruitment in Aging and Metabolism Research

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The University of Rochester hosts a vibrant, interdisciplinary team of scientists working on projects at the intersection of metabolic regulation and aging. We have identified several areas of competence that would strategically strengthen this group. The ability to use advanced genomic resources to conduct unbiased genetic screens for genes affecting aging, stress signaling and metabolism is one of these areas. Furthermore, the addition of a C. elegans lab with expertise in aging would greatly potentiate the biomedical impact of aging research in Rochester. The purpose of this application is to secure funds for the recruitment of an assistant professor who would complement the internationally competitive aging research group already at the University. We have identified Dr. Andrew Samuelson, currently a postdoctoral fellow in the laboratory of Dr. Gary Ruvkun at Harvard/MGH, as an excellent candidate for this position. Dr. Samuelson has visited the University and discussed common research interests with the faculty. Recognizing the perspectives for fruitful collaborations, and for scientific and academic growth at the University of Rochester, he is committed to accept an Assistant Professor position in the Department of Biomedical Genetics, should funds through this application become available. Herein, we describe Dr. Samuelson's research plan and how it fits into the context of the existing aging research efforts at the University. Furthermore, we discuss how Dr. Samuelson would benefit from the scientific environment and mentoring culture at the University of Rochester and in the Department of Biomedical Genetics. The purpose of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 is to create jobs, and to fund science in pursuit of improving the length and the quality of the lives of U.S. citizens. This application proposes a research team with world-class expertise in the genetics, cell biology and physiology of aging to be established at the University of Rochester Medical Center (URMC). The research team lead by Dr. Samuelson would initially consist of at least four individuals, all employed in newly created jobs. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The multidisciplinary research program supported by this proposal would promote a thorough understanding of insulin function at the molecular, cell and organism level. The expected gain of knowledge would benefit multiple scientific disciplines ranging from basic aging research to biomedical studies of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome.