Promoting Healthy Aging Through Muscle Health
Pioneering research to extend healthy lifespans by preserving muscle function
Our Mission
As global life expectancy rises, many additional years are spent in poor health. Our lab is dedicated to extending healthy lifespans by combating sarcopenia—the age-related loss of muscle mass and function. Sarcopenia increases risks of fatigue, immobility, falls, and mortality. We focus on understanding the molecular mechanisms of muscle aging to develop innovative therapies.
Our Research Focus
mTORC1 and Muscle Aging
We investigate how the mTORC1 signaling pathway, critical for cellular growth, drives muscle aging. Our studies show that mTORC1 hyperactivation impairs autophagy and lysosomal function, leading to muscle atrophy, weakness, and denervation. We also discovered a novel mitochondrial secretion pathway that compensates for autophagy defects, offering potential therapeutic avenues (Crombie et al., 2022; Tan et al., 2022; Ang et al., 2022).
Balancing Protein Synthesis and Degradation
Our research reveals that suppressing cap-dependent translation, which regulates protein synthesis, enhances protein degradation and restores muscle health. Activating EIF4EBP1, a translation repressor, boosts proteasome activity and mitochondrial function, counteracting autophagy deficiencies and improving muscle function (Crombie et al., 2022; Dong et al., 2025).
Muscle Microenvironment and Neuromuscular Health
We explore how EIF4EBP1 expression in muscle fibers coordinates muscle stem cells (MuSCs) and motor neurons. By limiting cap-dependent translation, we enhance neuromuscular junction (NMJ) stability and synaptic transmission, promoting muscle health and function (Ang et al., 2022).
Sex Differences in Aging
Females often live longer than males, and we study how mTORC1 signaling differs by sex in aging tissues. Our work aims to uncover sex-specific metabolic profiles to develop targeted therapies for healthy aging (Tsai et al., 2016).
Ongoing Projects
Theme 1: Remodeling the Muscle Microenvironment
We are studying how 4EBP1 regulates the muscle microenvironment using advanced 3D co-culture systems. Our research explores how 4EBP1 enhances muscle stem cell activity and neuromuscular transmission, and investigates immune cell roles in muscle aging. We also examine sex differences in NMJ remodeling to develop targeted therapies.
Theme 2: Skeletal vs. Cardiac Muscle Aging
While skeletal muscle atrophies with age, cardiac muscle hypertrophies, both leading to reduced function. We investigate why mTORC1 hyperactivation causes these divergent outcomes and explore S6K1 inhibition as a potential treatment to improve muscle health and longevity.
Join Our Mission
Our lab is committed to advancing the science of healthy aging. Explore our publications, collaborate with us, or contact us to learn more about our groundbreaking research.