Nash Foundation funds stem cell studies

The Ted Nash Long Life Foundation has awarded a two-year $200,000 grant to Peter J. Hornsby, Ph.D., for his studies of stem cells and improvement of lifelong health. Dr. Hornsby is a professor in the Department of Physiology and a researcher at the Sam and Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Studies. The grant aims to identify aging-related defects that adversely affect properties of induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells. Pluripotent refers to the iPS cells’ ability to give rise to many different kinds of daughter cells. Using modern techniques, scientists convert adult cells into iPS cells, which act like cells in the early embryo. The studies will be performed using cells of a small primate, the marmoset.