7th Annual Midwest Aging Consortium Research Symposium
Thank you to everyone who joined us in Chicago, Illinois, for the 7th Annual Midwest Aging Consortium (MAC) Research Symposium. Your participation reflects the shared commitment and growing impact of our community in advancing the field of aging research.
Since its inception, the MAC has served as a collaborative hub, bringing together leading institutions across the Midwest to accelerate progress in the science of aging. This unique consortium leverages the individual strengths of its member institutions—including the Mayo Clinic and the Universities of Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Iowa, Indiana, Kansas State, Northwestern, North Dakota, Ohio State, Wayne State, Iowa State, Illinois-Chicago, Xavier, and Southern Illinois—to foster a culture of shared innovation and discovery.
Symposium Information
The 7th Annual MAC Research Symposium was held on April 16-17, 2026. This conference was organized by Luisa Morales-Nebreda, MD and G.R. Scott Budinger, MD. More information is available below. Please email Sean Campbell at seancampbell@northwestern.edu with any questions.
Speakers
Keynote Speakers
| Rozalyn Anderson, PhD Vilas Distinguished Professor Director Wisconsin Nathan Shock Center Department of Medicine, SMPH University of Wisconsin-Madison |
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Guest Speakers
| Jonathan Alder, PhD Associate Professor of Medicine Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, Critical Care, and Sleep Medicine University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine |
| Christina Camell, PhD Associate Professor Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics Masonic Institute on the Biology of Aging and Metabolism University of Minnesota |
| Tamar Gefen, PhD Associate Professor Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences Director, Laboratory for Translational Neuropsychology Northwestern University |
| Nathan K LeBrasseur, PhD Noaber Foundation Professor of Aging Research Department of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering Director, Robert & Arlene Kogod Center on Aging Mayo Clinic |
| Alexander Misharin, MD, PhD Associate Professor Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine Northwestern University |
| Mauricio Rojas, MD Professor Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine Vice Chair of Research, Department of Internal Medicine The Ohio State University |
Schedule
Download a pdf version of the program here.
| April 15, 2026 | |
| 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM |
Welcome Reception Potocsnak Family Atrium |
| April 16, 2026 | |
| 7:00 AM |
Breakfast 3rd Floor Conference Center Atrium |
| 8:00 AM |
Conference Room L |
| 8:15 AM |
Welcome Remarks GR Scott Budinger, MD and Luisa Morales-Nebreda, MD (Northwestern University) |
| 8:25 AM |
Keynote Speaker Carmela Sidrauski, PhD "The Integrated Stress Response in Health, Disease and Aging" |
| 9:00 AM |
Session 1: Stress Response and AgingSession Chairs: Invited Speaker: "Cellular Senescence and Skeletal Muscle Aging" |
| 9:25 AM |
Rachel Meyer, PhD (University of Minnesota) "ATGL-mediated lipolysis mitigates DNA damage via a p300-p53 signaling axis" |
| 9:40 AM |
Lorena Rosas, PhD (The Ohio State University) "BAX Activation by BTSA1.2 Drives Senolysis of CTHRC1-positive Fibroblasts to Alleviate Pulmonary Fibrosis" |
| 9:55 AM |
Taylor Painter (University of North Dakota) "Delayed Neuromuscular Aging in Female Ames Dwarf Mice" |
| 10:00 AM | Break |
| 10:35 AM |
Session 2: Metabolism and AgingSession Chairs Shawn Davidson, PhD (Northwestern University) Invited Speaker: "Interplay of aging, lipid metabolism, and lung diseases" |
| 11:00 AM |
Chung-Yang Yeh, PhD (University of Wisconsin-Madison) "A diet-drug interaction reveals hepatic mTORC1 to mediate diet-induced FGF21 expression and energy expenditure" |
| 11:15 AM |
Zachary Sebo, PhD (Northwestern University) "Metformin inhibits mitochondrial complex I in intestinal epithelium to promote glycemic control" |
| 11:30 AM |
Session 3: Poster Teasers - Young Investigator ForumSession Chairs: Laura Dada, PhD (Northwestern University) Milica Jovisic, PhD (Northwestern University) "Immune epithelial self-reinforcing inflammatory niche precludes recovery from viral pneumonia in aged hosts"
Ruihua Ma, PhD (Northwestern University) "Age-Associated FOXP1 Decline Drives Impaired Lung Repair Following Viral Pneumonia"
Elham Mohebbi, PhD (Southern Illinois University) "Impact of dietary sodium intake on blood pressure and risk of Cancer and Cardiovascular Disease Risk"
Haylee Hamilton, PhD (University of Wisconsin-Madison) "Therapeutic potential of targeting astrocyte-mediated neuroinflammation in Alzheimer’s disease"
Helene Martini, Pharm D, PhD (Mayo Clinic Rochester) "Mitochondrial metabolism and epigenetic crosstalk in senescent cells"
Jiayi Hu, PhD (University of Minnesota) "Pre-Existing Cellular Senescence Accelerates KRas-Driven Lung Tumorigenesis in a Progeroid ERCC1-Deficient Mouse Model" |
| 12:00 PM |
Lunch Break (Boxed Lunch Provided) Poster Set Up |
| 1:00 PM |
Session 4: Cellular Senescence and AgingSession Chairs: Marianna Sadagurski, PhD (Wayne State University) Invited Speaker: Jonathan Alder, PhD (University of Pittsburgh) "A Natural Solution Premature Aging" |
| 1:25 PM |
Chathrurika Henpita, PhD (University of Minnesota) "Measures of senescence across four non-human primate tissues" |
| 1:40 PM |
Pedro Versuti Del Cioppo Vasques, MD, PhD (Mayo Clinic Rochester) "p21 Activation in Endothelial Cells Drives Cardiovascular Dysfunction and Early Death" |
| 1:55 PM |
Gung Lee, PhD (Mayo Clinic Rochester) "Dynamics of lipid metabolism in cellular senescence: SASP regulation and therapeutic opportunities for aging" |
| 2:00 PM |
Break |
| 2:35 PM |
Session 5: Immune AgingSession Chairs: Luisa Morales-Nebreda MD (Northwestern University) Invited Speaker: Alexander Misharin, MD, PhD (Northwestern University) "Spatial Organization of the Aging Immune System" |
| 3:00 PM |
Constance Runyan, PhD (Northwestern University) "TBA" |
| 3:15 PM |
Qiankun Yang, PhD (Mayo Clinic Rochester) "Mechanisms of defective Wnt signaling in T cell differentiation of older adults" |
| 3:30 PM |
Xinna Li, MD, PhD (University of Michigan) "Lifespan-extending interventions inhibited consistent expression patterns of IL-11 signaling across mouse livers and adipose tissues" |
| 3:45 PM |
Announcement from Midwest Nathan Shock Centers |
| 3:55 PM |
Announcement of the next 8th MAC Annual Symposium at University of Michigan |
| 4:15 PM |
Session 6: Poster SessionSession Chairs: Rogan Grant, PhD (Northwestern University) |
| 6:00 PM |
End of Day 1 |
|
April 17, 2026 |
|
|
7:00 AM |
Breakfast 3rd Floor Conference Center Atrium |
| 8:25 AM |
Keynote Speaker Rozalyn Anderson, PhD
|
| 9:00 AM |
Session 7: Measuring Biological Age and Super AgingSession Chairs: John Wilkins, MD (Northwestern University) Invited Speaker: Tamar Gefen, PhD (Northwestern University) "TBA" |
| 9:25 AM |
Timothy Rhoads, PhD (University of Wisconsin-Madison) "Splicing factor engagement and regulation of RNA processing during caloric restriction" |
| 9:40 AM |
Alireza Khoddam, PhD (Northwestern University) "PAI-1 Reduction as a Strategy to Extend Healthspan" |
| 9:55 AM |
Break |
| 10:20 AM |
Session 8: Age Related DiseaseSession Chairs: GR Scott Budinger, MD (Northwestern University) Invited Speaker: Christina Camell, PhD (University of Minnesota) "TBA" |
| 10:45 AM |
Ahmed Ghobashi, PhD (The Ohio State University) "Mapping Epithelial Stability States Reveals Plasticity Shifts in Aging and Fibrosis" |
| 11:00 AM |
Blake Monroe, PhD (University of Minnesota) "L-carnosine mitigates obesity- and age-driven senescent cell accumulation in visceral adipose: Implications for obesity/age-acquired insulin resistance" |
| 11:15 AM |
Dulmalika Manchanayake, PhD (Wayne State University) "Astrocyte–microglia metabolic crosstalk underlies SGLT2i neuroprotection in Alzheimer’s Disease (AD)" |
| 11:30 AM |
Catherine Kaczorowski, BA, PhD (University of Michigan) "Genetic Determinants of Brain Response to Caloric Restriction and Intermittent Fasting in Mice and Man" |
| 11:45 AM |
Poster Prizes and Travel Awards Recognition |
| 12:00 PM |
Closing Remarks Business Meeting Organizing Committees 2026 & 2027 |
| 12:30 PM |
End of Day 2 |
Abstracts
Here is a copy of the abstracts accepted for this symposium.
We are grateful to The Hevolution Foundation Scientific Conferences Fund for their support of the 7th Annual Midwest Aging Consortium Research Symposium. You may download a copy of the Hevolution Global Health Report here.