Kaya Lab @ The University of Virginia
Aging, Neurodegenerative Diseases, Stress Resistance, Adaptive Evolution
Principal Investigator
Alaattin Kaya is a geneticist and biochemist, interested in many aspects of biology of aging from the evolutionary and molecular genetics and biochemical perspectives. Genes and environmental factors that strongly interact to modulate observed aging patterns among different organisms has been one of his major interests. He hopes to advance understanding of the biology of aging and the fundamental relationship between genetic variation, metabolism and longevity phenotypes. He has also keen interest on evolution of stress resistance, mitochondrial biology and mito-nuclear communication regulating cellular homeostasis.
Lab Members
Rohil H. Tantray, Ph.D. Postdoctoral Fellow
Rohil, a postdoctoral researcher, is exploring the color perception and its neuronal and molecular mechanisms using the C. elegans model. His current project involves the careful creation of a novel sgRNA-based feeding library for 13000 C. elegans genes, ensuring their precise expression. This library will be the foundation of a comprehensive genome-wide gene overexpression study, guaranteeing the identification of modulators of aging and other phenotypes associated with neurodegenerative diseases.
email: fsb3fj@virginia.edu
Anna Miscicka: Ph.D. Research Scientist
Anna is investigating the genetic regulators involved in the activation and assembly of the mTORC1 and mTORC2 signaling complexes. Her second project focuses on mitochondrial-dependent, age-associated changes in protein post-translational modifications.
email:qhm2ty@virginia.edu
Luretha Domah: M.Sc. student, Biology
Luretha aims to discover conserved essential gene regulators of aging using yeast and worm models. Using the power of both models she is applying genetic screens and other molecular tools to discover health and lifespan effect of increase gene dosage of essential genes.
Vedat Sari: Ph.D. student, Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program (BIMS)
Vedat's research focuses on projects that involve understanding the effect of mitochondrial genetic background on lifespan regulation using yeast and mammalian cells. In the second interest, by using a mouse model, he also aims to understand the regulation of NAD homeostasis by gut microbiota under stress conditions.
email: qww6ur@virginia.edu
Hannah Pennington: Junior, Biomedical Engineering Major, Undergraduate Researcher
Hannah is a junior undergraduate at VCU majoring in Biomedical Engineering. She assists on various projects, spanning from mTORC regulation to mitochondrial stress signaling using yeast models. She aims to investigate the intricate regulatory network of stress resistance and aging.
email: penningtonhg@vcu.edu
Ella Katherine DiStanlo, Sophomore, Biology Major, Undergraduate Reseracher
Ella is working on an exciting research project focused on uncovering genotype-dependent responses to mTORC inhibition. Her work centers on engineering and characterizing cell lines with distinct genetic backgrounds to systematically assess how TORC1 signaling influences cellular physiology. By applying pharmacological and genetic perturbations to inhibit mTORC, she evaluates how different genotypes respond and adapt through modulation of downstream metabolic pathways, including nutrient sensing, energy homeostasis, and stress responses.
email:kxg8ep@virginia.edu