SCL’s second round of Postdoctoral Fellowships were awarded for a three year period beginning July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2011.

The candidates were judged on scientific promise based on his/her history of research productivity and the strength of his/her recommendations. The proposal was judged on overall scientific merit as well as clarity and persuasiveness. The training potential was judged on the opportunity for strong mentoring and the overall training environment, with a strong emphasis on the interdisciplinary nature of the training and the relevance to the fields of aging or longevity. The fellows will participate in SCL-related activities, including participating as Teaching Fellows in the undergraduate course “Longevity” and attending sponsored workshops and lectures.

Thirteen applications were received and three fellowships were awarded bringing the total to six fellowships awarded over the last two years:

2008 Awardees

1. ALICIA CHANG, M.D.
Medicine & Health Research and Policy

achang2@stanford.edu

Project: “Addressing the challenge of global population aging: the effect of age on immune response to T. B. infection”

Primary Mentor:
Julie Parsonnet, M.D.
Medicine & Health Research and Policy

Secondary Mentor:
Paul Utz, M.D.
Center for Clinical Immunology

2. ADOLFO SANCHEZ-BLANCO, Ph.D.
Developmental Biology

Asb123@stanford.edu

Project: “A molecular odometer for aging”

Primary Mentor:
Stuart Kim, Ph.D.
Developmental Biology

Secondary Mentor:
Art Owen, Professor
Biostatistics

3. MARINA SHKRELI, Ph.D.
Medicine

mshkreli@stanford.edu

Project: “Understanding cellular renewal and aging in kidney epithelium”

Primary Mentor:
Steve Artandi, M.D., Ph.D.
Medicine-Hematology

Secondary Mentor:
Glenn Chertow, M.D.
Medicine-Nephrology

2007 Awardees

4. ALESHA BERNEDETTE CASTILLO, PhD
Biomechanical Engineering

http://www.stanford.edu/group/cmbl/alesha.htm
aleshac@stanford.edu

Project: "Bone loss with aging with emphasis on mechanics and biology of bone turnover"

Primary Mentor:
Christopher R. Jacobs, PhD
Mechanical Engineering/Orthopedic Surgery

Secondary Mentor:
Sanjiv Sam Gambhir, MD, PhD
Radiology/Nuclear Medicine

5. CHRISTINA GATHMANN MANEVAL, PhD

http://www.stanford.edu/~cgathman/
cgathman@stanford.edu

Project: "Data analysis and demographic research (Russia) – the declines in life expectancy – are socialism and the transition to capitalism bad for your health?"

Primary Mentor:
Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD
School of Medicine

Secondary Mentor:
John Pencavel, Levin Professor of Economics
Department of Economics

6. DARIO RICCARDO VALENZANO, PhD
Genetics

http://www.stanford.edu/group/brunet/lab%20members.html
dario1@stanford.edu

Project: "Identifying genes regulating longevity"

Primary Mentor:
Anne Brunet, PhD
Genetics

Secondary Mentor:
Russ Fernald, PhD
Biological Science