Grant Award Announcement: Study on Metabolic Mechanisms of Aging in the Heart at the University of Oxford
October 21, 2024 – OXFORD – The Longevity Science Foundation (LSF), a nonprofit organization dedicated to funding research aimed at extending the healthy human lifespan, is proud to announce a grant award to researchers at the University of Oxford’s Department of Physiology, Anatomy, and Genetics, within the Medical Sciences Division, for the study “Metabolic Mechanisms of Ageing in the Heart - Novel Dietary Interventions for Enhancing Healthspan.” The research is led by Pawel Swietach, Professor of Physiology, and co-supervised by Richard Siow, Visiting Professor in the same Department at Oxford and Director of Ageing Research at King’s College London (ARK). The Foundation’s grant, which forms a critical part of the study's overall budget, is being provided over a three-year period, beginning in 2024.
The research undertaken by Prof. Swietach’s team focuses on improving cardiac function to extend the human healthspan by studying the chemical modifications to molecules that regulate the heart. Since the heart's ability to regenerate is limited, damage accumulates over time: sadly, about one in three deaths are related to heart disease. This study explores how metabolism, particularly changes in methylation related to diet, influences heart aging. By using genetically-altered experimental models , the team investigates how elevated methionine accelerates age-related heart dysfunction. They are testing whether diet changes can reverse these effects and studying its impact on cardiac function, metabolism, and methylation patterns to identify potential therapies. The LSF is funding critical aspects of the study which will advance the understanding of heart aging. The funding also provides training opportunities for students and fellows, fostering the next generation of leaders in aging and longevity research. As the LSF plays a crucial role in the success of this research project, we look forward to ongoing collaboration in developing a center of excellence in longevity research at the University of Oxford, as well as fostering additional partnerships at this globally leading institution.
“We eagerly anticipate the outcomes of the research Pawel Swietach’s team will make to the scientific field,” said Joshua C. Herring, the President & CEO of LSF. “We are proud to have the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics at the University of Oxford as partners, and we look forward to the mutual impact we will create. As the Foundation seeks and sources substantial additional capital through donations, we plan to continue reverberating through the community via our granting to the best research teams available”
Pawel Swietach, Professor of Physiology and principal investigator says: “We are excited that we can implement an element of longevity research into our portfolio, thanks to support from the LSF. The research we plan is ambitious, innovative and important, but expensive to run. Every contribution to this effort makes a massive difference to us, and we hope it brings tangible benefits to the wider community.”
“This groundbreaking research will contribute to a better understanding of metabolic changes in the heart during aging and the mechanisms by which dietary interventions can prevent heart disease. We are grateful to the Longevity Science Foundation for enabling this groundbreaking research at the University of Oxford and look forward to contributing to the development of novel interventions to enhance healthy longevity,” said Dr. Richard Siow.
About the Longevity Science Foundation The Longevity Science Foundation (LSF) is a nonprofit organization advancing human longevity by funding research and development of medical technologies to extend the healthy human lifespan. The long-term mission of the Longevity Science Foundation is to help make longevity-focused care accessible to everyone, no matter their background, by bringing cutting-edge science on aging out of the laboratory and into the mainstream. To learn more, visit www.longevity.foundation.
About the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford The Department is home to internationally-renowned teams of scientists addressing major questions in biomedicine, the answers to which will have a profound effect on modern biology, working to provide outstanding opportunities for graduate students and postdoctoral workers to gain a research training of the very highest quality, which will enable them to become the leaders of tomorrow and to communicate and employ their research in the wider world. The University of Oxford has been ranked number one in the world by the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings for nine consecutive years, from 2017 to 2025, and the Anatomy and Physiology at Oxford has been ranked #1 in the QS World University Rankings by subject from 2020 to 2024. To learn more, visit https://www.dpag.ox.ac.uk/