Research Focus
Adam Salmon, Ph.D., is a Professor of Molecular Medicine and Associate Director, Sam & Ann Barshop Institute for Longevity & Aging Studies at UT Health San Antonio.
His lab focuses on understanding the basic biology of aging by using targeted interventions to delay the aging process in mammals. Specifically, Dr. Salmon seeks to understand how the inhibition of the mTOR signaling pathway can be used to delay aging and improve health. His lab uses both rodents and non-human primates as model systems to address these questions. Key questions include: 1) does mTOR inhibition have similar effects in both model systems, 2) can diet interact with the pro-longevity effects of mTOR inhibition, 3) could multi-drug treatments be used to promote longevity and reduce potential side-effects.
Another focus is determining whether modulation of oxidative stress could regulate healthy lifespan; i.e., does a reduction of oxidative stress slow the development of age-related disease? In particular, Dr. Salmon is interested in studying the role of oxidative stress and protein oxidation in the development of metabolic dysfunction with age and obesity. The oxidative stress theory of aging has been one of the most prominent theories of why organisms age. Both aging and increased fat accumulation promote dysregulation of glucose metabolism, alterations in adipose tissue homeostasis, and declines in cellular function that are detrimental to overall health. Metabolic diseases like Type 2 diabetes currently affect a significant proportion of the world’s population and their prevention could certainly lead to longer, healthier lives.