Prof. Nisar wins the International Catalyst Research Award by the U.S. National Academy of Medicine and AMED, Japan

Jr. Associate Professor Sajid Nisar of Kyoto University of Advanced Science won the International Catalyst Research Award, which is the first round of the Healthy Longevity Grand Challenge (HLGC) organized by the U.S. National Academy of Medicine (NAM) in collaboration with international organizations including Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED). The goal of this challenge is to seek breakthrough innovations that extend human health and functions later in life. From more than 1,500 global submissions, 154 proposals were chosen to become the first winners of this award.

Prof. Nisar, with his collaborators from Italy and Singapore, aims to develop novel techniques to enhance the functionality of aged human hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs)— important because they can transform into blood cells—for applications in regenerative medicine, immune reconstitution, and cancer prevention. By employing advanced robot-assisted 3-D models to create a cell environment similar to the real human body, they will study the reasons for dysfunction in aged-HSCs and try to boost their functionality. Their research is expected to be one of the first molecular studies to provide a meaningful outline of the aging process in the HSCs, with the final goal being to recover and enhance the health and longevity of the aging human hematopoietic system.
Project description: https://healthylongevitychallenge.org/winners/dissecting-the-role-of-cellular-senescence-in-hematopoietic-stem-cells-during-aging/
HLGC Webpage: https://healthylongevitychallenge.org/