Aging and Immunity Program
Mission Statement:
To study the immunology of aging and develop therapeutic interventions to reverse or slow down immune aging to promote organismal resilience.
Overview:
The human population is aging in an unprecedented manner. By the middle of the 21st century, nearly 25% of the world’s population will be >65 for the first time. Aging is associated with increased infection rates and is a major risk factor for many human diseases, including diabetes, autoimmune diseases, neurological syndromes, and cancer. Surprisingly, we have little cellular and molecular understanding of why age is a risk factor, especially in diseases mediated by the immune system. While it is appreciated that dysregulation of the immune system is a central feature of aging, the mechanistic drivers of immune dysfunction during aging and the impact of the aged immune system on age-associated diseases remain understudied.
The immune system constantly interacts with tissues in both homeostasis and disease. The Aging and Immunity program investigates how immune system-tissue interactions are perturbed during aging and how these perturbations impact physiology, immune regulation, and disease development. Furthermore, our Program aims to define mechanisms of age-related immune decline to identify targets for therapeutic intervention to promote healthy immune aging.
Francisco J. Quintana, PhD
Program Lead
Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School
Ann Romney Center for Neurologic Diseases, Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Associate Member, Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard
President, International Society of Neuro Immunology (ISNI)
Dr. Quintana, a graduate of the University of Buenos Aires (1999, Argentina), obtained his PhD in immunology at the Weizmann Institute of Science (2004, Israel). He received postdoctoral training at the Weizmann Institute of Science and Harvard Medical School. In 2009, Dr. Quintana joined the faculty of Harvard Medical School.
Dr. Quintana’s research is focused on Neuroimmunology, investigating signaling pathways that control inflammation and neurodegeneration, with the ultimate goal of identifying novel therapeutic targets for immune-mediated and neurodegenerative disorders. Dr. Quintana has published over 230 peer reviewed articles and book chapters. Dr. Quintana’s work identified the transcription factor AHR as an important regulator of inflammation driven by adaptive and innate immune cells. He defined mechanisms by which cell-cell interactions, metabolism, the microbiome, and environmental chemicals control inflammation and neurodegeneration. Dr. Quintana’s work guided the development of Tapinarof, the first FDA-approved AHR-targeting drug for the treatment of psoriasis.
Dr. Quintana is the recipient of the Lady Anne Chain Prize for Academic Excellence and Scientific Achievements, the Junior Investigator Award from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Pathway to Independence Award of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the Award for Outstanding Research Achievement form Nature Biotechnology, the Tecan Award for Innovation, the Harry Weaver Award from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Mentor Award from Harvard Medical School, the Milestones in Multiple Sclerosis Research Award from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the American Association of Immunologists-BD Biosciences Investigator Award, ISI Most Highly Cited List, the Barancik Prize of Innovation in Multiple Sclerosis Research, IGNITE BWH award and the Raices Prize for Excellence in Research (Argentina). In 2021, Dr. Quintana was named the Kuchroo Weiner Distinguished Professor of Neuroimmunology.
Marcia C. Haigis, PhD
Program Co-Lead
Professor of Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School
Co-Director, Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging Research
Director of Gender Equality for Faculty in Science, Harvard Medical School
Dr. Haigis obtained her PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Wisconsin and performed postdoctoral studies at MIT studying mitochondrial metabolism. In 2006, she joined the faculty at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Haigis is an active member of the Dana Farber/Harvard Cancer Center, an Affiliate of the Broad Institute, a member of the Ludwig Center at Harvard Medical School, and the Gene Lay Institute of Immunology and Inflammation.
Dr. Haigis has made fundamental contributions to our understanding of how mitochondria contribute to human health and diseases of aging. Her pioneering studies identified ways that mitochondria utilize fuels and signal in to support cell proliferation, pivotal in immune cell activation. Research in the Haigis laboratory has also led to a deeper mechanistic understanding of how cancer cell metabolism affects metabolites in the tumor microenvironment to regulate T cell effector functions. Most recently, her work has shed light on our understanding of how diet, age, and obesity regulate anti-tumor immunity.
Dr. Haigis is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Brookdale Leadership in Aging Award, the Ellison Medical Foundation New Scholar Award, the American Cancer Society Research Scholar Award, the National Academy of Medicine Emerging Leaders in Health and Medicine Program, and the 2023 Samsung Ho-Am Prize in Medicine. Dr. Haigis serves on numerous academic and for-profit scientific advisory boards.