Seminar Series - Dr. Oliver Dreesen

About Oliver´s Talk:
Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria (HGPS) is a premature aging syndrome caused by aberrant splicing of LMNA that results in a truncated and permanently farnesylated and membrane-tethered form of lamin A, called progerin. Patients exhibit characteristics of premature aging, including early onset alopecia, skin thinning, altered pigmentation, lipodystrophy, and die in their mid-teens due to cardiovascular complications. Our goal is to elucidate the molecular mechanism(s) that accelerate aging in progeria and understand its relevance to normal aging. To achieve this, we are using cell-based models (fibroblasts, iPSC) and doxycycline (DOX)-inducible expression systems. During these studies, we also identified and characterized nuclear lamina remodeling, including the degradation of lamin B1, as a hallmark to detect senescent cell types in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, these results provide evidence for a mechanistic link between the nuclear envelope, chromatin structure and telomeres, that is disrupted in progeria and possibly normal human aging.

Scientific Background:
Oliver Dreesen is an internationally recognized scientist in skin biology, skin health, and aging. He currently serves as Deputy Executive Director of ASTAR Skin Research Labs (ASRL), Singapore, and Theme Lead for Skin Health & Aging. He is also Director of the L’Oréal–A*SRL Joint Research Laboratory and Adjunct Associate Professor and Co-PI at the Mechanobiology Institute, National University of Singapore (NUS).
Previously, he held senior research positions at A*STAR’s Skin Research Institute of Singapore and Institute of Medical Biology and served as President of the Skin Research Society Singapore (2019–2021). He holds a Ph.D. from The Rockefeller University, New York (2006).

MPI Age, Joseph-Stelzmann-Str. 9b
auditorium, ground floor

Host: Carien Niessen