The goal of the Miller Lab is to translate the basic biology of aging into treatments that help people stay healthy longer (i.e, the healthspan). We study physiological systems at cellular and whole-body levels to understand how aging disrupts homeostasis and drives functional decline and disease. We approach these questions by examining physiology as a dynamic, integrated system rather than a collection of isolated pathways.

Proteostasis and muscle

We are focused on maintaining proteostasis in skeletal muscle. By targeting skeletal muscle, our goal is to minimize sarcopenia and the associated risk for developing metabolic disorders and lifelong disability. We are particularly interested in mitochondria because of the importance of cellular energetics in maintaining the energetically costly processes of proteostasis.

Translation

By using translational approaches in the lab, we take basic preclinical studies in model organisms and apply them to human clinical trials. We use a variety of pharmaceutical (rapamycin, metformin, 17α-estradiol) and non-pharmaceutical (exercise, nutritional) strategies from bench to bedside and back.

Approaches

Our experiments focus on flux and turnover to try and capture biological processes in motion rather than as a static snapshot. The lab is a world leader in the use of stable isotopes to study metabolic flux and biosynthetic processes. We use deuterium oxide (D₂O) and mass spectrometry to measure DNA and protein synthesis rates from in vitro and in vivo models.

My Publications  Lab Website