Michael Petrascheck, PhD
Scripps Research Joint Appointments
Research Focus
Old age is accompanied by a deterioration of tissues and organs, increased susceptibility to disease, and an exponential increase in mortality. The last years have seen great progress in unraveling the mechanisms underlying aging. It has become clear that aging is regulated by various genetic pathways which when properly manipulated lead to increases in lifespan. These findings raise the exciting possibility that age related diseases could be treated by targeting aging pathways instead of the disease itself.
To investigate this possibility we have screened for small molecules that extend lifespan in C.elegans. The power of the small molecule approach lies in its enormous flexibility. Small molecules can be tested in cell lines, various model organisms, different models of age related disease, in combination with each other, or in combination with mutations known to affect aging and lifespan. Using life-extending small molecules as probes we can now start to investigate the molecular connection between aging and age-related diseases.
Education
Ph.D. (Molecular Biology), University of Zurich, Institute of Molecular Biology, 2001Professional Experience
2017-2017 Assistant Professor (Joint Appointment), Neuroscience, Scripps Research2017-2017 Assistant Professor, Molecular Medicine, Scripps Research
2013-2017 Assistant Professor (Joint Appointment), Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience (MCN), Scripps Research
2010-2017 Assistant Professor (Joint Appointment), Dorris Neuroscience Center, Scripps Research
2009-2017 Assistant Professor, Chemical Physiology, Scripps Research
2002-2009 Postdoctoral Fellow with Dr. Linda Buck, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
2002-2002 Staff Scientist, ESBATech
Selected References
Petrascheck, M., Ye, X., and Buck, LB. (2009) "A high-throughput screen for chemicals that increase the lifespan of Caenorhabditis elegans." Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1170:698-701.
Petrascheck, M., Ye, X., and Buck, LB. (2007) "An antidepressant that extends lifespan in adult Caenorhabditis elegans." Nature 450, 553-556