The Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies

02/13/2026

Join us for the Barshop Institute 2026 Spring Seminar Series!

🗓 Wednesday, February 18
⏰ 4:00–5:00 PM CT

We’re pleased to welcome Hongyuan (Robert) Yang, PhD, Professor in the Department of Integrative Biology and Pharmacology at UT Houston, McGovern Medical School. He will present:
🧬 “Lipid Storage and Trafficking in Metabolic Diseases.”

📍 In person: Barshop Institute, Conference Room 2.2005
💻 Virtual: Zoom Webinar

🍪☕ Light refreshments provided

Hosted by Roger Shi, PhD.

👉 bit.ly/4jjeaJw

01/26/2026

Join us for the Barshop Institute 2026 Spring Seminar Series!

🗓 Wednesday, January 28
⏰ 4:00–5:00 PM CT

We’re pleased to welcome Qin Yang, MD, PhD, Professor of Medicine and Director of the UC Irvine Diabetes Center at the University of California, Irvine. He will present:
🧬 “Epigenetic Regulation of Liver Metabolism.”

📍 In person: Barshop Institute, Conference Room 2.2005
💻 Virtual: Zoom Webinar

👉 bit.ly/4jjeaJw

🍪☕ Light refreshments provided

Hosted by Roger Shi, PhD

01/09/2026

Join us for the Barshop Institute 2026 Spring Seminar Series!

🗓 Wednesday, January 14
⏰ 4:00–5:00 PM CT

We’re pleased to welcome Ann Griffith, PhD, Associate Professor in the Department of Microbiology, Immunology & Molecular Genetics at UT Health San Antonio. She will present:
🧬 “Mechanisms Regulating Thymus Function Across the Lifespan.”

📍 In person: Barshop Institute, Conference Room 2.2005
💻 Virtual: Zoom Webinar

☕🍪 Light refreshments provided

Hosted by James Nelson, PhD.

👉 bit.ly/4jjeaJw

12/16/2025

Join us for the Barshop Institute 2025 Fall Seminar Series featuring Ward Awardee Presentations highlighting innovative research in aging and neuroscience.

🗓 Wednesday, December 17
⏰ 4:00–5:00 PM CT

We’re pleased to feature two outstanding early-career researchers:

🔬 Ziying Xu, PhD Candidate (Mentor: Xianlin Han, PhD), presenting: “Reciprocal regulatory loop between myelin lipid metabolism and microglial reactivity in the central nervous system.”

⏰ Kristi Dietert, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow (Mentor: Kevin Koronowski, PhD), presenting: “Impact of senescence on the circadian rhythms of neighboring cells.”

📍 In person: Barshop Institute, Conference Room 2.2005
💻 Virtual: Zoom

🍪☕ Light refreshments provided

👉 https://bit.ly/4jjeaJw

12/01/2025

Join us for the Barshop Institute’s Fall Seminar Series!
🗓 Wednesday, December 3
⏰ 4:00–5:00 PM CT

We’re excited to welcome Valentina Garbarino, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Cell Systems and Anatomy and investigator with the Biggs Institute for Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases at UT Health San Antonio.

She will present: 🧠 “Lactoferrin’s Biomarker and Therapeutic Potential in Aging and Age-related Brain Disease.”

📍 In person: Barshop Institute, Conference Room 2.2005
💻 Virtual: Zoom Webinar
☕🍪 Light refreshments provided.

Hosted by the San Antonio Nathan Shock Center.

🔗 https://bit.ly/4jjeaJw

11/19/2025

🎉 Huge congratulations to the UT San Antonio team on launching the San Antonio Center for Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias (AD/ADRD) Population Aging and Social Studies (CAPAS)! This nationally recognized, NIA-funded center is a landmark achievement.

Under the leadership of Drs. Rebeca Wong and Fernando Riosmena, CAPAS will tackle Alzheimer’s through a population-level, life-course approach — and crucially, with a strong commitment to underrepresented communities. Their innovative work will combine research, mentorship, and community outreach to make an impact where it matters most.

This is a powerful step forward for dementia research and for supporting healthy aging in San Antonio and beyond. Well done to everyone involved! 🧠✨

By Claire Kowalick and Amanda Cerreto The University of Texas at San Antonio has secured federal funding for a new research hub dedicated to studying Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, propelling the university into the ranks of leading research institutions in the United States. Funded th...

11/18/2025

Join us for the Barshop Institute’s Fall Seminar Series!
🗓 Wednesday, November 19
⏰ 4:00–5:00 PM CT

We’re excited to welcome Gary Churchill, PhD, Professor and Karl Gunnar Johansson Chair at The Jackson Laboratory, presenting:
🧬 “Dietary Restriction Extends Lifespan in Genetically Diverse Mice.”

📍 In person: Barshop Institute, Conference Room 2.2005
💻 Virtual: Zoom Webinar
☕🍪 Light refreshments provided.
Hosted by James Nelson, PhD.

👉 https://bit.ly/4jjeaJw

11/04/2025

📢 Barshop Institute Seminar – November 5

Join us for a fascinating talk by Wenjie Luo, PhD, Associate Professor of Research in Neuroscience at Weill Cornell Medicine. Dr. Luo will present: “How Microglial Lipid Shapes Tau Pathology in Alzheimer’s Disease.”

🗓 Date: Wednesday, November 5, 2025
🕓 Time: 4:00 – 5:00 PM
📍 Location: Barshop Institute, Conference Room 2.2005 (In-person)
💻 Virtual Option: Zoom Webinar
☕ Light refreshments will be provided.

Hosted by Dr. Sijia He and Dr. Xianlin Han.

We hope to see you there!

👉https://bit.ly/4jjeaJw

10/27/2025

Join us for the Barshop Institute’s Fall Seminar Series!

🗓 Wednesday, October 29 | ⏰ 4:00–5:00 PM CT

📍 In person: Barshop Institute, Conference Room 2.2005
💻 Virtual: Zoom

We’re excited to welcome Amina Qutub, PhD, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at UTSA, presenting:
🧠 “Innovations in AI and Their Relevancy to Longevity and Aging.”

Hosted by the San Antonio Pepper Center.
🍪☕ Light refreshments provided!

👉 bit.ly/4jjeaJw

10/23/2025

🎉 Congratulations to Ziying Xu on publishing her first first-authored research paper in Nature Communications! 🧠🧬

Her study, “Microglia-specific regulation of lipid metabolism in Alzheimer’s disease revealed by microglial depletion in 5xFAD mice,” uncovers how microglia—the brain’s immune cells—affect lipid (fat) metabolism and contribute to Alzheimer’s disease progression.

This important discovery advances understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms behind neurodegeneration and highlights new potential pathways for Alzheimer’s therapies.

We’re proud to celebrate this achievement from one of our talented students at the Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies! 👏

👉https://bit.ly/4o295Hf

10/14/2025

📢 You’re invited to the Barshop Institute 2025 Fall Seminar Series!

Join us on Wednesday, October 15, from 4:00–5:00 pm CT for a special Biology of Aging seminar featuring presentations from two of our outstanding trainees:

🧬 Xin Li, PhD Candidate (mentor: Dr. Xianlin Han)
“Investigating the Role of Sulfatide in Amyloid Beta Metabolism in an Alzheimer’s Mouse Model”

🧫 Lidia Cervantes, PhD Student (mentor: Dr. Corinna Ross)
“Gut Microbiome Signatures of Aging and FMT Intervention in the Common Marmoset”

📍 In person: Barshop Institute, Conference Room 2.2005
💻 Virtual: Zoom Webinar

☕🍪 Light refreshments will be provided.

👉 https://bit.ly/4jjeaJw

09/29/2025

📢 You’re invited to the Barshop Institute 2025 Fall Seminar Series!

Join us on Wednesday, October 1, from 4:00–5:00 pm CT for a seminar with Erik Musiek, MD, PhD, Charlotte & Paul Hagemann Professor of Neurology at Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine.

🧠 Talk: “Circadian clocks, glia, and Alzheimer’s Disease”

📍 In person: Barshop Institute, Conference Room 2.2005
💻 Virtual: Zoom

☕🍪 Light refreshments will be provided.
Hosted by Juan Pablo Palavicini, PhD.

👉 https://bit.ly/4jjeaJw