The Biggest Question for My Science
Session 2 - Is it Practically Possible to Slow Brain Aging?
In our quest to maintain cognitive sharpness and mental acuity as we age, we face an inevitable challenge: the natural progression of time and its effects on our brains. While many of us enjoy healthy aging, some unfortunately encounter dementia or other neurological diseases, underscoring the urgency of understanding aging and brain health. This session explores the gap between cutting-edge research and practical applications, revolving around the critical scientific question: Is it possible to slow brain aging, and can we apply such strategies to treat neurological diseases? We'll delve into the latest basic science studies that investigate the mechanisms of how the brain works and how it changes in aging, seeking to unravel this central mystery. Join us to discover how scientific breakthroughs might pave the way for enhancing quality of life and promoting holistic well-being, offering hope in our collective effort to stay mentally sound and cognitively resilient for longer.
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Date and Time:
l Beijing Time (CST): August 22, 2024 (Thursday), 10:30 AM- 12:30 PM
l Korea Time (KST): August 22, 2024 (Thursday), 11:30 AM- 1:30 PM
Meeting Format: Online @ Zoom
Joining link: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/3601039307pwd=kkOMYogz2XULJvO52G1Z5bUUoFetVK.1
Meeting ID: 360 103 9307
Password: AYSF
Agenda (Beijing Time)
- 10:20 - 10:35 Zoom meeting room open
- 10:35 - 10:40 Opening Remark
- 10:40 - 11:00 “The Feasibility of Slowing Brain Aging and Implications for the Treatment of Diseases”
l Presentation by Prof. Ho Ko (15 mins) and Q&A (5 mins)
- 11:00 - 11:20 “Aging and Neurodegenerative Disease”
l Presentation by Prof. Xiangdong Fu (15 mins) and Q&A (5 mins)
- 11:20 - 11:40 ”Effort to take care of the ROS involved in diverse neurodegenerative diseases”
l Presentation by Prof. Hee-Sup Shin (15 mins) and Q&A (5 mins)
- 11:40 - 12:30 Open Discussion (30 mins) + Q&A (20 mins)
l Moderator: Prof. Ho Ko
l Panelists: Prof. Xiangdong Fu, Prof. Ho Ko, Prof. Hee-Sup Shin
Convener (AYS Fellow):
Ho Ko, Associate Professor, Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong; 2023 AYS Fellow-Life Science, Asian Young Scientist Fellowship
Ho Ko is a clinician-scientist at the Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK). He holds a Bachelor of Medical Sciences (BMedSc, 2008), a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB, 2015) from CUHK, and a PhD in neuroscience from University College London (2012). In his early career, he advanced our understanding of the physical basis of sensory perception by uncovering several fundamental rules governing the connections between neurons. After years of medical training, he established his lab in 2016 and shifted his research focus from studying the neural basis of information processing, to its preservation in diseases. His current research employs preclinical and clinical approaches to investigate the neural circuitry and molecular mechanisms underlying nervous system dysfunction in aging and neurodegeneration, with the aim of guiding the development of disease-modifying therapeutics. Ho Ko has received several awards in recognition of his contributions to neuroscience, including being a runner-up for the 2014 Eppendorf and Science Prize for Neurobiology, a 2020 Croucher Innovation Award, a 2021 Excellent Young Scientist Fund of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, and the 2022 Sir David Todd Lectureship.
Invited Speakers:
Hee-Sup Shin, Honorary Fellow, Institute for Basic Science (IBS); Member of the Steering Committee, Asian Young Scientist Fellowship
Shin has obtained an MD degree from Seoul National University Medical College in 1974 and a PhD degree on genetics and cell biology from Cornell University Medical College in 1983. He taught at MIT in USA and POSTECH in Korea. He was Director of Brain Science Institute, KIST, and then Director of Center for Cognition and Sociality, IBS. After stepping down from the directorship of Center for Cognition and Sociality, he continues his research as an Honorary Fellow of IBS.
Since mid-90’s his group has been using molecular genetics to study neural mechanisms for animal behaviors, primarily focusing on the role of the thalamus in normal and diseased brains. His approach was by elucidating the physiological consequences of deranged regulation of intracellular Ca2+ levels in brain cells. Three groups of genes were targeted: voltage-gated Ca2+ channels for Ca2+ entry into cells, phospholipase Cbeta enzymes for Ca2+ release from internal stores upon activation of metabotropic receptors, and Na+/Ca2+ exchangers driving Ca2+ out to restore the resting Ca2+ level.
Beginning in 2010 his research interest has evolved to neurobiology of social behaviors. He has pioneered to establish a behavioral paradigm, observational fear learning in mice, a rodent model for emotional contagion which is considered to be the basic form of affective empathy. This mouse model allowed, for the first time, to study affective empathy at the molecular and cellular levels. Owing to this animal model, he has been able to define genes, circuits, and brain rhythms that control empathy behavior.
Xiangdong Fu,Chair Professor, Westlake University
Dr. Xiang-Dong received his BS degree in Virology from Wuhan University, China in 1982, PhD degree in Biochemistry from Case Western Reserve University in 1988 (via the CUSBEA program), and postdoctoral training at Harvard from 1988 to 1992. Dr. Fu joined the faculty of University of California, San Diego since 1992 as Assistant Professor of Cellular and Molecular Medicine (1992-1998) and was promoted to Associate Professor (1998-2002), Full Professor (2002-2018), and Distinguished Professor (2018-2022). Dr. Fu joined Westlake University as RNA Biology and Regenerative Medicine Chair Professor in January 2023.
Dr. Fu was responsible for co-discovery of SR proteins, a family of RNA binding proteins involved in constitutive and alternative pre-mRNA processing. His laboratory also discovered a family of kinases specific for SR proteins and demonstrated that these kinases are critical for transducing external and intracellular signals to regulate alternative splicing in the nucleus. Dr. Fu’s research has been centered on understanding the functions of coding and non-coding RNAs in development and disease. His laboratory has also invented multiple technologies for high throughput analysis of gene expression, mRNA isoforms, and genomic interactions. One of their latest breakthroughs is the development of a new cellular reprogramming strategy to generate functional neurons from non-neuronal cells and the application of this approach to reverse the disease phenotype in a Parkinson’s disease model. In his newly established laboratory at Westlake University, he will continue to follow the fields of RNA biology and regenerative medicine and use a battery of molecular biology, biochemical, molecular genetics, functional genomics, animal behavioral, and electrophysical approaches to pursue mechanistic understanding of specific diseases and develop therapeutic strategies. Dr. Fu welcome talented and motivated postdocs and students to join force in addressing some fundamental questions in RNA biology and regenerative medicine and in translating basic science discoveries into novel disease intervention strategies.