VITAL

Agenda for VITAL symposium: Oct 29, 2025

TBA

Keynote Speaker

TBA

The alumni panel is organized by the Buck Biotech Group.

• 
  Nick Aguirre  Senior Scientist, Regel Therapeutics

  For the human body to develop and function normally, the precise level of expression of each gene of the genome needs to be tightly regulated by epigenetics. When this balance is disrupted, alteration in gene expression can lead to severe genetic diseases for which no cure is available. Regel’s technology utilizes a deactivated Cas system (dCas) which targets the epigenome without editing or damaging the DNA. This approach harnesses the natural mechanisms of gene regulation, allowing for efficient and permanent restoration of normal gene expression. See more at: https://regeltherapeutics.com/

  Major Accomplishments: Previously, I completed my PhD work in skeletal muscle physiology at UC Davis and postdoctoral work at The Buck and UCLA in mitochondrial transplantations. Exposure working with Unity Biotechnology during my tenure within Dr. Judith Campisi’s lab led me to pursuing a career within industry; wherein, I have worked with Juvena Therapeutics, Scribe Therapeutics, and Regel Therapeutics. At Juvena, I performed critical preclinical in vitro and in vivo work on JUV-161 contributing to the acquisition of CIRM and Series A funding. With Scribe, I established in vitro muscle testing platforms and developed assays for cardiometabolic diseases to screen gene therapy candidates across four different indications. Currently at Regel, I have been managing the IND-enabling in vivo work of our cardiac and skeletal muscle programs. 

  Future goal: My personal goal is to lead discovery and translational science teams from indication selection all the way through IND-enabling trials. Ultimately, I wish to see one or more of the drugs I help create make a positive impact on patients’ lives, enhancing their longevity, quality of life, independence, and happiness.

• 
  Brenda Eap  Vice President of Communications and Partnerships, The Alliance for Longevity Initiatives (A4LI)

  A4LI is a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization dedicated to transforming aging through legislation and forward-thinking policies. Its mission is to extend healthy human lifespan by focusing on accelerating equitable access to next-generation therapies. More about A4LI here (https://a4li.org).

  Major Accomplishments: Shortly after I defended my PhD work in the Newman lab in 2023, I transitioned into advocacy work with the Alliance for Longevity Initiatives (A4LI). One accomplishment I am proud of is planning A4LI’s first successful DC Fly-In to brief Members of Congress on geroscience. It was a 2-day event with our Longevity Science Caucus, longevity leaders, former politicians, and congressional staffers. I am excited to continue advocating for the future of 21st-century medicine through the hard work and advancements in the geroscience field!

  Future goal: My goals are to continue influencing policymakers and MoC about geroscience research at our DC Fly-Ins, inspire everyone to get involved in getting their local representatives interested in the longevity biotech field, and lobby to strengthen communication between NIH and agencies like the FDA. By accelerating the availability of longevity therapeutics, we can improve the health and well-being of all Americans.

• 
  Brian Hodge  Senior Scientist, UCSF

  Dr. Hodge earned his Ph.D. in 2015 from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, where his research focused on the role of molecular clocks in peripheral tissues and their influence on homeostasis and function. Through the creation of a transgenic muscle-specific molecular clock mutant model, he identified accelerated aging phenotypes in skeletal muscle, sparking his deep interest in the aging field. He began his postdoctoral studies in 2016 in the laboratory of Dr. Pankaj Kapahi at the Buck Institute to investigate how lifespan-extending dietary interventions, such as dietary restriction influence circadian rhythms to delay aging and extend longevity in Drosophila. His research revealed that DR enhances the temporal transcriptional output of pathways that prevent age-related photoreceptor degeneration and identified the photoreceptor as a critical mediator of DR-induced lifespan extension. In 2021, he transitioned to industry, joining the venture-backed start-up Fountain Therapeutics as a Senior Scientist. There, he leveraged high-content imaging to screen for small molecule regulators of cellular aging. Early in 2024, Dr. Hodge joined the Small Molecule Drug Discovery center at UCSF. He currently works in collaboration with the Proteostasis Consortium on a multi-institute, Hevolution-funded project where he employs phenotypic imaging and deep learning to model age-related dysfunction within the proteostasis network and identify compounds that restore proteostasis in aging cells and neurodegenerative models.

• 
  Ed Liao  Director, Cell Biology, Kite Pharma

  Kite pharma is a cell therapy company focused on treating and curing cancer. I currently lead the Molecular biology and Vector cores within research, developing the next generation of cell therapies. Our function supports the activities of project teams and process development.

  I received my Ph.D. in Molecular Genetics from the University of Toronto, Canada. During my time at the Buck Institute, I studied the neuromuscular junction of Drosophila melanogaster in the lab of Dr. Pejmun Haghighi. My work in the field of neuroscience has been published in journals such as Nature and Neuron. I have 14 publications from my time in academia and 3 patents from my work in cell therapy. 

  My near term goals include developing the talent within my teams, and working to overcome the challenges of cell therapy. In my spare time I enjoy mountain biking, hiking and trail running.

• 
  Chris Nelson  CEO, Mpathy Bio Inc.

  Major accomplishments:

  1) I contributed genotyping algorithm development to a blood-typing test now adopted by the UK National Health Service (NHS). The test matches donor blood units with transfusion-dependent patients (often sickle cell and thalassemmia) who develop immunity against many blood surface markers. This more specific blood type matching gets patients blood their bodies will accept.

  2) I helped build the bioinformatics and assay for a state-of-the-art cancer recurrence test called NeXT Personal. The liquid biopsy test is 100x more sensitive to low levels of circulating tumor DNA than other products on the market, and gives a 6-11 month lead time over detecting recurrence by imaging. This extra time helps patients and physicians adapt the course of treatment more effectively.

  Future Directions: I have started a company developing multiomic organ damage biomarkers.

• 
  Laurel Koch, PhD  Keynote Speaker Selection Committee
• 
  Kenny Wilson, PhD  Postdoctoral Research Abstract Selection Committee
• 
  Joanna Bons, PhD  Life-Support Committee
• 
  Kiyomi Kaneshiro, PhD  Life-Support Committee
• 
  Olfat Malak, PhD  Life-Support Committee
• 
  Parminder Singh, PhD  Sponsorship Cultivation Committee
• 
  Mitsu Nomura, PhD  Alumni Panel Selection Committee
• 
  Charlie Schurman, PhD  VITAL Swag Committee

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