Find out how biotech innovators are translating discoveries in aging biology into next-generation longevity therapies. Our panel of leading women scientists will share how their research is shaping the field — from targeting metabolic pathways to harnessing mitochondrial biology and resetting cellular aging programs. We’ll connect the cellular and molecular drivers of aging to novel approaches that extend healthspan and combat age-related disease. 

Note: Each ticket includes light bites and non-alcoholic beverages. Walk-ins will not be accepted. 

Program

6:00 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.  Check in and networking
6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.  Panel discussion
7:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.  Q&A and networking
 

Speaker Bios

Brenda Eap, PhD, Vice President of Communications and Partnerships at A4LI, Moderator

Brenda completed her PhD training through the USC/Buck Institute program in 2023, conducting most of her research under Dr. John C. Newman, where she studied sex differences in ketone body metabolism. From 2022 to 2023, she served as President of the Graduate Student Society, continuing efforts to unite all graduate students at the Buck Institute. After earning her PhD, Brenda joined visionary leader Dylan V. Livingston at the Alliance for Longevity Initiatives (A4LI) to advocate for policies that address gaps in longevity science, with a focus on strengthening the role of academia in advancing aging research. As Vice President of Communications and Partnerships, she works to build collaborations between mission-aligned companies and A4LI’s initiatives to drive innovation and policy change in the field. Outside of A4LI, Brenda enjoys spending time with family and friends and volunteers with Rebuilding Together, supporting aging-in-place initiatives and promoting safe, healthy aging at home.

Lisa Ellerby, PhD, Professor at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging

Dr. Ellerby grew up in the Bay Area and received her PhD in chemistry from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She completed her postdoctoral training at the University of California, Los Angeles, in the laboratory of National Academy member Dr. Joan Valentine, where she investigated the mechanism of superoxide dismutase and developed a novel biosensor technology published in Science. A founding faculty member of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, Dr. Ellerby’s research focuses on identifying longevity and resilience factors—such as APO2 and OXR1—to prevent aging and age-related neurological diseases. She has authored more than 125 scientific papers, holds nine patents, and received the NIH Director’s Transformative Research Award in 2019. Dr. Ellerby has served on National Institutes of Health (NIH) study sections for over 15 years and reviews for numerous nonprofit organizations, including Target ALS. She was a long-time editorial board member of the Journal of Biological Chemistry, currently serves as Associate Editor for the Journal of Huntington’s Disease, and is on the editorial board of Neurobiology of Disease. In addition to her academic roles, Dr. Ellerby collaborates with biotechnology companies and has received funding from industry partners such as BioMarin.

Priya Handa, PhD, Director of Translational Biology and Pharmacology at Juvena Therapeutics

Priya has over 15 years of experience in basic, preclinical, and translational research spanning multiple disease areas, including metabolic, hepatic, renal, and ocular, among others. Prior to joining Juvena Therapeutics, Priya was a Principal Scientist and a team leader at Surrozen, focused on tissue regeneration using their antibody platform in diseases with an unmet need. There, she championed several early-stage discovery programs and was a key contributor to the Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) program, which is currently in Phase I clinical trials. Prior to joining Surrozen, Priya made seminal observations on the pathological underpinnings of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis( NASH) in the Swedish Organ Care Research Program and Benaroya Research Institute at Seattle, working closely with world-renowned physician-scientist, Dr. Kris Kowdley. She published her pivotal findings in leading journals such as Hepatology, and presented over 30 posters and gave seven podium talks in prestigious conferences such as American Association in the Studies on Liver Diseases (AASLD) and Digestive Diseases Week (DDW) among others, on her key work on liver diseases including Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis and Primary Biliary Sclerosis. Prior to that, at the University of Washington’s Diabetes Institute, Priya uncovered a central role for vascular nitric oxide signaling in regulating adipose tissue inflammation and metabolic dysfunction and highlighted an essential role for ApoA1 in regulating inflammation. She completed her PhD at the Indian Institute of Science delineating various DNA repair pathways, and received the best thesis award for her dissertation. She did her postdoctoral work at the University of Washington in Seattle on DNA repair and genomic instability. Priya has authored 38 publications, including book chapters and reviews, and has presented her findings in numerous international meetings, and is a co-inventor of a patent for corneal regeneration.

Susanna Rosi, PhD, Founding Principal Investigator at the Altos Labs Bay Area Institute of Science

Dr. Susanna Rosi is a neuroscientist and Founding Principal Investigator at the Altos Labs Bay Area Institute of Science. Prior to joining Altos, she was the Lewis and Ruth Cozen Chair, Professor in the Departments of Physical Therapy Rehabilitation Science and Neurological Surgery at UCSF. Dr. Rosi's research is dedicated to understanding the processes responsible for cognitive deficits observed in aging and neurodegeneration with the goal of translating preclinical discoveries into clinical medicine. Her work provided mechanistic evidence for the role of microglia in the development of cognitive deficits after brain injury based on sex. She was the first to demonstrate that modulation of the Integrated Stress Response rescues cognitive deficits after brain trauma; rejuvenates old mice by alleviating memory deficits and restoring neuronal and immune dysfunction. She has been the recipient of numerous grants and awards, including multiple grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). She also received the Bridging the Gap Award from the California Institute for Quantitative Biosciences, the Innovation Award from the Weill Institute for Neurosciences, and the 2021 J.W. Osborne Award from the Radiation Research Society.

Janine Sengstack, PhD, Co-Founder and CSO of Junevity

Dr. Janine Sengstack is the co-founder and CSO of Junevity, a VC-backed biotech advancing siRNA therapeutics to target transcription factors. During her PhD at UC San Francisco, Janine created the foundation for the Junevity Cell Reset platform, which identifies novel transcription factor targets to reset cell health. At Junevity, she and her team are creating siRNA to treat diseases such as obesity and neurodegeneration.

Pricing Information

• Members/Guests: $35
• Student Members/Guests: $20
• Non-members*: $65
• Student Non-members: $40

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Note: A confirmation email will be sent after registration has been completed. 

Maximum Capacity

120

Parking Information

Parking is available at the garage underneath the building. 

Public Transit Information    

From the San Carlos Caltrain Station, walk approximately 0.5 miles to MBC BioLabs.