Jonathan Alder

My research focuses on understanding the role of telomere length in human health and disease. Telomeres are caps on the ends of each of chromosomes and shorten as we age. My current interest is exploring the mechanisms by which telomere dysfunction causes age-related lung diseases including pulmonary fibrosis and emphysema. Our lab uses a number of approaches to explore that pathogenesis of short-telomere mediated disease including genetics, cell biology, and animal models. We hope these studies will lead to a deeper understanding of how telomere dysfunction contributes to lung disease and potentially inform rational therapies.