The Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies

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

09/22/2025

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

Join us on Wednesday, September 24, from 4:00–5:00 pm CT for a seminar with Da-Zhi Wang, PhD, Professor in the Department of Medicine and Director of the Center for Regenerative Medicine at the University of South Florida.

🧬 Talk: “Molecular Mechanisms of Heart Development, Function and Regeneration”

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

👉 https://bit.ly/4jjeaJw

☕🍪 Light refreshments provided.
Hosted by Mengwei Zang, MD, PhD.

09/19/2025

🌟Speaker Spotlight: Dr. Elena Volpi🌟

Join us on Monday, Sept. 22 for TPR’s Think Science at UT San Antonio Health Science Center to hear from world-renowned brain health experts, including Dr. Elena Volpi, a pioneer in healthy aging and aging research.

Be inspired by her groundbreaking work and discover how new advances in aging research and brain health are shaping our future. Plus, take part in a live Q&A.

Seats are limited—register now to secure your spot: https://tinyurl.com/yrmyscca

The Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies

09/15/2025

🎉 Exciting news from UT Health San Antonio!

The San Antonio Claude D. Pepper Older Americans Independence Center has secured a $6.5 million grant from the NIH’s National Institute on Aging to continue advancing its mission for the next five years.

This funding will allow the Pepper Center to expand from six to seven research cores, including the addition of a brand-new Molecular Phenotyping Core. The Center’s work focuses on translating cutting-edge aging science into real-world interventions that help older adults—especially in South Texas—maintain their health and independence.

With leadership from Dr. Elena Volpi, Dr. Randy Strong, and Dr. Rebeca Wong, and a strong track record of training the next generation of scientists, the Pepper Center continues to be a national leader in geroscience and geriatrics.

  The population of older Americans is expanding rapidly and is expected to double by 2060. While people are living longer than ever, many are also living with chronic health problems that impact their quality of life and ability to live independently. Since 2015, scientists at the San Antonio Clau...

09/12/2025

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

Join us on Wednesday, September 17, from 4:00–5:00 pm CT for a seminar with Agustin Ruiz, MD, PhD, Professor at the Glenn Biggs Institute, Director of the Biological Core Laboratory, and Keith M. and Pat V. Orme Endowed Chair in Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Diseases at UT Health San Antonio.

🧬 Talk: “Proteogenomic Analysis of Human Cerebrospinal Fluid Across the Alzheimer’s Disease Continuum”

📍 In person: Barshop Institute Conference Room 2.2005
💻 Virtual: Zoom ID: 160 951 7479 | Passcode: Semi-4939!

☕🍪 Light refreshments provided.

Hosted by James F. Nelson, PhD.