Dr. Giulia Coletta is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow with the Active Aging Research Team at the University of British Columbia. Giulia earned her PhD from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Her PhD research focused on promoting physical activity to improve mobility and sarcopenia in community-dwelling older adults. Giulia developed and delivered in-person and virtual community-based group exercise programs focusing on resistance training. Her current work focuses on supporting the implementation and effectiveness of Choose to Move – a choice-based physical activity intervention that supports low active older adults in British Columbia to become more physically active and socially connected. Giulia’s overarching goal is to improve older adults’ quality of life and extend their health span by narrowing the gap between research and practice.
Isabel Huang is a researcher at the University of British Columbia under the supervision of Dr. Sheila Novek. She is pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Food, Nutrition, and Health at UBC. Her research centers on food and nutrition-related practices in long-term care settings, with an emphasis on individuals’ experiences of food and autonomy in care homes.
Dr. Stuart Turvey is a Pediatric Clinical Immunologist, a Professor of Pediatrics at The University of British Columbia, and holder of the Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Pediatric Precision Health. As a practising pediatric immunologist based at BC Children’s Hospital, Dr. Turvey’s research program responds to major challenges in contemporary pediatric medicine. Specifically, his research focuses on childhood immune deficiency diseases and disorders of immune dysfunction including asthma, allergies, and autoimmunity. Dr. Turvey is internationally recognized for hj;is research in developing precision health-based strategies to address childhood asthma and pediatric immune system disorders, and he is a highly effective mentor for the next generation of child health clinician-scientists.
Keywords:Life course, birth cohorts, developmental origins of health and disease, microbiome, immunology
I am a PhD student in the School of Population and Public Health at UBC, supervised by Dr. Silvia Stringhini. I am a pharmacist by background and hold an MSc in pharmaceutical sciences with a focus in epidemiology from UBC. Currently I am working on my research proposal and my goal is to assess the relationship between polypharmacy and multimorbidity using longitudinal data analysis. I aim to improve our understanding of chronic disease trajectories and management and how multiple medication use can impact the progression of new chronic diseases.
The Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging (ELCHA) has received $335,000 from the Canadian Frailty Network and AGE-WELL to establish the ELCHA, in partnership with the Fraser Health Authority, as one of three national Translational Geroscience Research Centres across Canada, and the only such Centre in Western Canada. The growing field of geroscience posits that the biological aging process is the primary risk factor driving the onset and progression of chronic diseases and frailty. As such, strategies that modulate biological aging pathways may prevent or delay not just one age-related disease, but many. This funding is supporting three pilot studies led by ELCHA Investigators. Two projects, Co-led by Dr. Michael Kobor and Dr. Grace Park, will determine the impact of two interventions, social prescribing and comprehensive geriatric assessment-informed care, on frailty progression and biological hallmarks of aging in older adults. A third project, led by Dr. Mahmoud Pouladi, will determine the gerotherapeutic potential of a GLP-1 agonist on healthy aging and increase understanding of the mechanisms by which GLP-1 agonists influence brain aging. The hope is that these initial studies demonstrate the promise of facilitating the translation of geroscience research into improved diagnoses or treatment for aging older adults.
We are grateful to the Canadian Frailty Network and AGE-WELL for their support in advancing geroscience research. This recognition strengthens ELCHA’s commitment to translating cutting-edge aging research into meaningful improvements in care and quality of life for older adults. We look forward to the impact these studies will have in shaping the future of healthy aging.
We are excited to share that Dr. Stefan Taubert, an Investigator at the Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging (ELCHA), has published a new study in Nature Communications on how cells survive when nutrients are scarce.
How Do Cells Survive Starvation?
When cells don’t get enough nutrients, they need to find ways to protect themselves. In cancer cells, a key protein —eEF2K— helps cells survive starvation by slowing down protein production to conserve energy. eEF2K is also found in the roundworm C. elegans, where it is called EFK-1, and helps them survive starvation as well. However, in a study lef by PhD student Junran Yan, Dr. Taubert’s team discovered that it functions quite differently in the worm compared to cancer cells.
In the worm, EFK-1 doesn’t function in the regular way to slow protein production. Instead, EFK-1 helps worms protect their DNA from damage and controls how much oxygen their mitochondria use. By doing this, cells can prevent harmful oxidative stress and survive for longer during times of nutrient scarcity.
Why Does This Matter?
As starvation resistance is linked to aging and disease, the way cells manage stress when nutrients are low can affect longevity and overall health. Previous research has focused on how eEF2K controls protein production, but this study shows that it could have other important functions in ensuring cellular health. Importantly, eEF2K is linked to age-related diseases, including cancer and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s, and eEF2K targeting drugs are being developed for cancer treatment. This study may help researchers better understand and evaluate how such drugs could be used in cancer and other aging-related diseases, where managing cell stress is critical.
How Was This Discovered?
Dr. Taubert’s team made this discovery by studying tiny roundworms called C. elegans, which are often used in aging research. They generated worms that didn’t have EFK-1 and compared them to normal worms when food was scarce. Worms without EFK-1 struggled to survive starvation, while normal worms with EFK-1 lived much longer.
When they looked deeper, they found something surprising—compared to normal worms, worms without EFK-1 don’t show overall changes in protein production. They deduced that something else must be at work.
To understand why, the researchers looked at what was happening inside the cells. They found that EFK-1 was working to improve other aspects of cell health—it was actually helping cells repair damage and control oxygen use.
Cells with EFK-1 had better DNA repair, meaning they could fix harmful damage caused by stress.
They also used oxygen more carefully, preventing toxic byproducts that can speed up aging-related processes in long starvation.
This discovery challenges what scientists previously thought about EFK-1, showing that it actively protects cells during starvation rather than just slowing things down.
Associate Professor, School of Population and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine
Dr. Silvia Stringhini is an Associate Professor in the School of Population and Public Health. Previously, she served as Head of the Population Epidemiology Unit of the Department of Primary Care Medicine at the Geneva University Hospital as well as Assistant Professor at the Department of Community Health and Medicine of the University of Geneva. She completed her PhD in public health and epidemiology at the University Paris XI/University College London. Prior to this, she completed an MSc in global health at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland and an MSc in International economics at the University of Pavia, Italy. Silvia’s research focuses on social inequalities in chronic diseases and aging, the biological consequences of social inequalities, the role of environmental factors in shaping social inequalities in health, and social trajectories in aging.
Keywords: Social determinants of health, life course, epidemiology, social trajectories, social inequalities, biological consequences of social inequalities
Biology relies on quickly adapting to environmental and developmental cues. Large cells such as oocytes and neurons can rapidly alter their proteomes by activating translation when needed. A number of reproductive and neuronal disorders are caused by misregulated translation. By understanding how disease factors control translation at the molecular level, we aim to open a path towards therapeutics for autism and ovarian disorders. My laboratory has developed a model system for studying translational control in its “purest” state in vivo using mature Drosophila oocytes. Mature oocytes are giant cells which are transcriptionally inactive and rely entirely on the translation of stored mRNAs. We study how oocytes control the translation of their stored mRNAs by (1) characterizing translation genome-wide using ribosome profiling and RNA sequencing in wild type and mutant backgrounds (2) identifying novel factors using genetic screens and cell-type specific perturbations, and (3) discovering roles for translation factors in development and aging by studying effects on oogenesis and early embryonic development.
Keywords: Female reproductive biology, reproductive aging, regulation of protein translation, neurodevelopmental disorders, neurodegeneration
The Edwin S.H. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging is delighted to announce the recipients of the 2024/2025 Healthy Aging Postdoctoral Fellowship. This award supports outstanding postdoctoral researchers conducting innovative research relevant to healthy aging at UBC. By fostering early-career researchers, this fellowship contributes to advancing world-class aging research in British Columbia. See the 2 winners and their groundbreaking projects below:
Shane Taylor, Faculty of Medicine (Supervisor: Dr. Stefan Taubert)
Aging is a major risk factor for diseases such as neurodegenerative disorders and cancer. Shane’s research focuses on the molecular stress response pathways associated with healthy aging, using C. elegans as a model organism. His work explores how the protein Nuclear Hormone Receptor NHR-49 regulates life span, health span, and stress resistance. By studying the molecular signals and kinases that control NHR-49, Shane aims to uncover insights into human orthologs and potential interventions for age-related diseases.
Gilciane Ceolin, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Supervisor: Dr. Annalijn Conklin)
Gilciane’s research investigates how changes in social ties—such as marital status, living arrangements, and social participation—impact depression linked to type 2 diabetes (T2D) in older adults. Her work also examines the role of healthy eating, particularly fruit and vegetable intake, in mitigating T2D-related depression. By identifying ways to improve mental health and social well-being, her findings aim to guide future health programs and policies for older adults.
We congratulate Shane and Gilciane on their exceptional achievements and look forward to seeing the impact of their research on advancing healthy aging!
On January 10th, 2025, the Edwin S. Leong Centre for Healthy Aging (ELCHA) hosted Artists’ Night, an event that showcased the incredible creativity of local artists who were finalists of the Healthy Aging Visual Art Prize contest. The night was a celebration of art, community, and the power of creative expression to challenge perceptions of aging!
The highlight of the evening was the announcement of the Healthy Aging Visual Art Prize contest winners, whose remarkable pieces captured the beauty, resilience, and potential of aging:
Public Category:
🏆 1st Place: Lifegiving by Esmie Gayo McLaren ($1000 prize!)
We were honoured to welcome Premier David Eby and the new BC Seniors Advocate Dan Levitt, who joined the event to celebrate the incredible talent and vision of BC artists. Their presence underscored the provincial importance of supporting healthy aging through creativity and community.
The event also featured inspiring speeches, vibrant discussions, and a strong sense of community engagement from older adults who attended the exhibition. We would like to thank everyone who made this night unforgettable – our finalists, attendees, and jurors, and Dr. Julia Henderson, the Chair of the Healthy Aging Visual Art Prize and ELCHA Co-lead for Community Engagement and Intersection. A special thank you to the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health (DMCBH) for partnering with us on this remarkable initiative. Your efforts are helping redefine the narrative around healthy aging through art!
To view all of the incredible submissions to the contest, click here to access the digital art gallery. Photos of the event below are courtesy of ELCHA Communications Assistant Devyani McLaren and the DMCBH Communications Manager Clement Woo.
