The Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies

08/29/2025

🎉 Congratulations to Dr. Juan Pablo Palavicini on receiving a Rising UT STAR Award! 🌟

This $150,000 grant is designed to support research faculty by enhancing access to cutting-edge equipment and facilities. As an assistant professor in the Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology and an investigator at the Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies, Dr. Palavicini will be able to further advance his important work in the biology of aging and longevity. 🧬⏳

We’re proud to celebrate this well-deserved recognition of his excellence and dedication to discovery! 👏





🔗for more:

Dr. Juan Pablo Palavicini has received a Rising UT STAR retention award for $150,000. The STARs (Science and Technology Acquisition and Retention) Program provides funding to help purchase state-of-the-art equipment and make necessary laboratory/facility renovations to support faculty members in per...

08/28/2025

🚨 New research from UT Health San Antonio highlights important differences in how males and females respond to the ketogenic (keto) diet.

Led by Dr. David Gius, the study found that male mice on a long-term keto diet developed harmful effects, including the buildup of aging (senescent) cells and increased oxidative stress. In contrast, female mice were protected from these negative outcomes. Remarkably, giving male mice estrogen or antioxidants prevented the harmful effects, pointing to a possible hormonal explanation.

These findings underscore the importance of considering s*x and hormonal status when evaluating the health impacts of popular diets like keto.

Learn more here:

Estrogen may be protective against adverse effects Contact: Steven Lee, (210) 450-3823, lees22@uthscsa.edu SAN ANTONIO, Aug. 28, 2025 – Could a keto diet affect males differently from females? A study from The University of Texas Health Science at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) suggests so, a...

08/27/2025

🎉 Congratulations to Nisi Jiang, PhD, on a major achievement!

Dr. Jiang is the first author of the first-ever national review of anti-aging compounds, analyzing 20 years of data from the National Institute on Aging’s Interventions Testing Program.

The landmark study, published in the Journal of Gerontology: Biological Science, identified 13 compounds that extend lifespan and healthspan in preclinical models. Among them, rapamycin stood out as the most effective—boosting survival by up to 28%, even when started in mid- or late-life. 🧬⏳

This work provides a powerful roadmap for future discoveries in longevity science. Please join us in celebrating Dr. Jiang’s incredible contribution to the field of aging research! 👏



https://bit.ly/45Vlntg

08/26/2025

🚨📢Registration and abstract submission closes on Sept 5th. Don't delay and register now!

🔗: https://bit.ly/3UG2bew

📣 Registration is now open!
Join us for the 2025 Masoro-Barshop Conference on Aging, happening October 9–12 at the beautiful Mayan Dude Ranch in Bandera, Texas.

This year’s theme is: "Dietary Approaches to Geroscience Intervention"

Explore how nutrition can influence aging and age-related diseases alongside top researchers and experts in the field.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to connect, learn, and advance aging science in a one-of-a-kind setting.

🔗 Learn more and register here: http://bit.ly/3UG2bew

07/31/2025

🎉 Celebrating 30 years of excellence in aging research!

The San Antonio Nathan Shock Center at UT Health San Antonio has been a national leader in the biology of aging since 1995—and it just secured another 5 years of funding from the National Institute on Aging! 🧬

The Center continues to advance cutting-edge geroscience and develop promising therapeutics like rapamycin to extend both lifespan and healthspan. It also plays a key role in training the next generation of aging researchers and driving collaborative science nationwide.

Learn more about this major milestone: https://bit.ly/4mqWn3T

Aging affects all living creatures and is the greatest factor in numerous diseases. The greatest health care burdens are borne by diseases in older patients — a population expected to nearly double by 2050, according to U.S. Census Bureau projections. Over the past 30 years, scientists at The Univ...

07/22/2025

🎉 Congratulations to Laurence Maeyens, PhD student in Biology of Aging, for winning the Poster Pitch Award at the 2025 American Aging Association meeting in Anchorage, Alaska! 🏆

Laurence’s award-winning poster, "Timing of castration modulates its life-extending effect in genetically heterogeneous mice," revealed a surprising finding: castration at midlife offers greater longevity benefits than early-life intervention in UM-HET3 mice.

Selected as one of just 20 finalists from hundreds of submissions, his work sheds new light on the timing of hormonal interventions in aging. We’re proud to celebrate this exciting achievement! 👏🧬



https://bit.ly/4m88Wkr

06/24/2025

Exciting news from UT Health San Antonio! 🎉

Dr. Daohong Zhou, a tenured professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Structural Biology, has been awarded over $2.4 million from the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) to expand the university’s core research facilities.

This major investment will enhance our ability to discover and develop new treatments for drug-resistant cancers—especially those that are hardest to treat, like brain tumors and soft tissue sarcomas. With state-of-the-art technologies such as CRISPR screening and small molecule degraders, Dr. Zhou and his team are pushing the boundaries of cancer research.

Learn more about how this grant will drive innovation in cancer therapy. 💡🧬

The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio (UT Health San Antonio) received $3,395,970 in new academic research and prevention awards as part of the latest $98 million funding round announced on May 21 by the Cancer Research Prevention Institute of Texas (CPRIT). The state agency,....

06/09/2025

🎉 Exciting news from UT Health San Antonio!
Our Barshop Institute team has been named a Semifinalist in the global XPRIZE Healthspan competition—a $101 million, 7-year challenge focused on extending healthy human lifespan.

Selected from over 600 teams across 58 countries, our project, “Rejuvenation Through Low-Frequency Ultrasound,” aims to reverse cellular aging using non-invasive ultrasound technology. With support from a $250K Milestone 1 award, we’re launching early human trials right here in San Antonio.

This is a major step forward in our mission to improve healthspan and redefine aging science. 💡🧬

🔗 Read more: https://bit.ly/43TWWvg

Original story: UT Health San Antonio Newsroom Contact: Claire Kowalick, kowalick@uthscsa.edu SAN ANTONIO (June 5, 2025) ­— More than 600 teams from 58 countries around the world entered the XPRIZE Healthspan competition. That number has now been whittled down to 100 semifinalists and 40 top awar...

06/04/2025

🎙️ Pepper Center investigator Dr. Lisa Kilpela recently spoke with Texas Public Radio about her research on food insecurity and binge eating in older women.

Her work sheds light on critical, often overlooked challenges facing older adults—don't miss it!



🔗 Listen here:

A San Antonio researcher hopes to dispel myths about who is at risk for eating disorders while studying the interaction between binge eating disorder and food insecurity in older Hispanic women.

05/27/2025

📣 Registration is now open!
Join us for the 2025 Masoro-Barshop Conference on Aging, happening October 9–12 at the beautiful Mayan Dude Ranch in Bandera, Texas.

This year’s theme is: "Dietary Approaches to Geroscience Intervention"

Explore how nutrition can influence aging and age-related diseases alongside top researchers and experts in the field.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to connect, learn, and advance aging science in a one-of-a-kind setting.

🔗 Learn more and register here: http://bit.ly/3UG2bew

05/27/2025

📅 Mark your calendar!
Join us on Wednesday, May 28 at 4:00 PM CT for the next talk in our Spring Seminar Series.

We’re excited to welcome Stephen Harridge, PhD, who will present:
"The Biology of Human Aging: Differentiating Ageing from Inactivity"

Learn more on aging science and human health.
🔗 More info: http://bit.ly/4jjeaJw

05/02/2025

Join us Wednesday, May 7th at 4pm CT for our Spring Seminar Series. Kevin Bieniek, PhD, presents: "3D brain modeling and : tools for brain aging and disease research."

More info: http://bit.ly/4jjeaJw