Virginia R. Fajt

Epigenetic aging and transposon dysregulation reflect size-related lifespan compression in dogs

The extraordinary lifespan variation in domestic dogs provides a natural experiment for testing how intrinsic rates of biological aging shape lifespan. Using 1640 methylomes from 894 dogs, we developed an epigenetic clock that predicted mortality and demonstrated that epigenetic...

Alzheimer’s disease neuropathological characterization of the dog brain and relationship to biofluid biomarkers and cognitive function

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder affecting more than 55 million people worldwide and is characterized by cognitive decline, amyloid-beta (Aβ) plaques, and neurofibrillary tangles. Although transgenic rodent models have advanced understanding of...