Symposium 2021
2021 Symposium on Healthy Aging
Speakers

Max Guo
Max Guo, Ph.D., is the Chief of the Genetics and Cell Biology Branch, Division of Aging Biology at the National Institute on Aging (NIA), NIH. Trained as a molecular biologist and biochemist, he obtained a Ph.D. in Biochemistry on the study of RNA splicing with Dr. Alan Lambowitz from the Ohio State University in 1992. He did his postdoctoral training on oncogenes with Dr. J. Michael Bishop at the University of California at San Francisco. Before joining NIH as a Program Officer in 2002, he was an Assistant Professor of Cancer Biology at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center of Johns Hopkins Medical School. He was a Program Officer of Genetics and Genomics at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) and National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) from 2002 to 2007. From 2008-2011, he was the Deputy Director of the Division of Metabolism and Health Effects, NIAAA. He joined NIA in 2011, responsible for the genetics and chromatin portfolio.

Cristal Hill
Dr. Hill is the recipient of the Dr. Norman Orentreich Award for Young Investigator on Aging, presented at the 2021 Annual Meeting of the American Aging Association (July 20-23, 2021), Madison, WI.
Cristal M. Hill grew up in Birmingham, Al., with ambitions in veterinary medicine, but a strong interest in endocrine diseases developed while working at a local veterinary clinic during high school. Dr. Hill received her BS and MS degrees in animal sciences from Tuskegee University, with a thesis centered on inflammatory responses during cardiovascular disease. She then moved to Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, where, under the direction of Dr. Andrzej Bartke, she earned a Ph.D. in molecular biology, microbiology, and biochemistry, with a heavy focus on the mechanisms of biological aging. She is a postdoctoral fellow mentored by Jacqueline M. Stephens and Christopher D. Morrison at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, La. Dr. Hill received a Maximizing Opportunities for Scientific and Academic Independent Careers – Pathway to Independence Award (MOSAIC NIH K99/R00) for her current research focusing on the effect of dietary protein content on adipose tissue function during aging. She also received a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Individual Postdoctoral Fellowship (Parent F32) for her earlier training and work focused on neuronal FGF21 signaling effects on metabolism during dietary protein restriction.
In the community, Dr. Hill is an advocate of connecting scientific data to the community through affiliations in both local and national organizations. She was a youth educator for the 4-H Club (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign), a mentor for Big Brothers Big Sisters, and served on the community leadership board of Central Illinois for the American Diabetes Association. While living in Baton Rouge, she has assisted with numerous STEM programs in both a church and public setting. She is also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and Rotary International.
Dr. Hill’s commitment to fostering diversity includes teaching at all levels and mentoring undergraduates at various minority-serving institutions. She has held the position of Vice-Chair and Secretary of the American Aging Association Trainee Chapter (AGE-TC) and now holds the position of Chair for the AGE-TC Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Opportunities Committee. Dr. Hill continues to support diversity by endorsing an environment of institutional inclusion in the biomedical research workforce for individuals from underrepresented backgrounds.

Alessandro Bitto

Zhen Dong

Jay Johnson

Sailendra (Nath) Nichenametla

Thomas Olsen

Manali Potnis
Manali Potnis is a Ph.D. candidate working with Dr. Christian Sell at the Drexel University in Philadelphia. Her research examines the role of long-non-coding RNA H19 in aging and senescence. She received her master’s in Molecular Biology from Drexel University. She is the recipient of The Aging Initiative fellowship, a college-wide initiative to support research in basic biology of aging. In addition to her research, she served as a student liaison for the Women in Medicine and Science Committee (WiMSC).

Christian Sell
