JANUARY 2024 NEWS

Dear Friends,

Here we are, already one month into 2024! For the Salk Institute, this is our “year of Healthy Aging,” one of the six scientific initiatives that are the focus of our Campaign for Discovery.

Historically, aging research and clinical care have been approached with tunnel vision, with each discipline addressing scientific questions or treating age-related diseases in a silo. We view things differently here at Salk. We bring together all-star teams of experts from different research areas to form collaborative groups that tackle common problems. Ultimately, we want to move beyond the conventional medical wisdom of approaching individual diseases that are the sequelae of aging, and instead develop personalized interventions that increase resilience and reduce susceptibility to multiple age-related diseases simultaneously.

I am also delighted to share with you some exciting news. We recently named our new Chief Science Officer—Jan Karlseder, current Salk professor and director of our Paul F. Glenn Center for Biology of Aging Research. Together, and with Jan now part of the leadership team, we will enhance and expand Salk’s high-impact science in Healthy Aging and other promising research areas.

Thank you for your support. I wish you all a year of good health.

Warmest regards,

Salk scientists uncover key brain pathway mediating panic disorder symptoms

Overwhelming fear, sweaty palms, shortness of breath, rapid heart rate—these are the symptoms of a panic attack, which people with panic disorder have frequently and unexpectedly. Creating a map of the regions, neurons, and connections in the brain that mediate these panic attacks can provide guidance for developing more effective panic disorder therapeutics. Associate Professor Sung Han and team have begun to construct that map by discovering a brain circuit that mediates panic disorder. This circuit consists of specialized neurons that send and receive a neuropeptide—a small protein that sends messages throughout the brain—called PACAP. What’s more, they determined that PACAP and the neurons that produce its receptor are possible druggable targets for new panic disorder treatments.

See also:

New York Post »

Wales Online »

Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology News »

The Economic Times »

Tech Explorist »

Iron influences plant immunity and may promote resiliency against climate change

Plants rely on iron for growth and regulation of the soil microbiome around their roots. However, they face a special challenge when acquiring iron, since the strategies they use to increase iron availability alter the root microbiome and can inadvertently benefit harmful soil-dwelling bacteria. Now, Professor Wolfgang Busch and team have discovered how plants manage iron deficiency without helping “bad” bacteria thrive—by eliminating IMA1, the molecular signal for iron deficiency, in roots at risk of bacterial attack. Additionally, they found that more IMA1 in leaves can make them more resistant to bacterial attack, suggesting that the iron deficiency signaling pathway and plant immune system are deeply intertwined.

Meet new Salk CSO Jan Karlseder

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The Salk Institute has named Jan Karlseder as its new senior vice president and chief science officer (CSO). Karlseder, a professor in Salk’s Molecular and Cell Biology Laboratory, director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for Biology of Aging Research, and Donald and Darlene Shiley Chair for Research on Aging, will assume the role on February 1, 2024.

Jan Karlseder grew up in a small village in rural Austria, playing in the forest and snow. Despite having a botanist grandfather and engineer father, he recalls that his interest in biology grew slowly, but eventually blossomed into a career as a molecular biologist. Learn more about his journey from the alps to Salk by watching “From Then to When: Meet Salk Scientist Jan Karlseder.”

SALK'S NEW PODCAST BEYOND LAB WALLS

Join hosts Isabella Davis and Nicole Mlynaryk on a journey behind the scenes at the Salk Institute, delving into the captivating realms of neuroscience, plant biology, cancer research, and more. The Institute’s new podcast immerses listeners in the fascinating world of science while showcasing the brilliant minds and dedicated staff who drive its discoveries.

The first episode of Beyond Lab Walls features Postdoctoral Researcher Natanella Illouz-Eliaz, a plant biologist in the lab of Professor Joe Ecker who studies how a small model plant from the mustard family called Arabidopsis thaliana handles extreme weather.

SALK STREAMING

Sign up for the Salk Institute's exclusive new media channel, where you’ll find stories of science and the people who bring it to life—including our “From Then to When” video series and episodes of Beyond Lab Walls.

Salk Institute Professor Ronald Evans honored with Japan Prize

Evans was named the 2024 recipient of the Japan Prize in the field of Medical Science and Pharmaceutical Science. The Japan Prize Foundation awards this prestigious international award annually to “express Japan’s gratitude to international society.” Evans receives the award in recognition of his breakthrough discovery of the nuclear hormone receptor family and its application to drug development—among his many other scientific achievements that continue to grow.



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Salk Professor Joanne Chory honored with Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Science

Chory was selected by the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia to receive a Benjamin Franklin Medal in Life Science for her achievements in plant science. She will receive a 14-karat gold medal and a $10,000 honorarium at the Franklin Institute Awards Ceremony in April 2024. Chory joins other extraordinary scientists and engineers as Franklin laureates, including Nikola Tesla, Marie and Pierre Curie, Thomas Edison, Albert Einstein, and Jane Goodall, among others.



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Salk researchers earn $1.3 million W. M. Keck Foundation award to study aging brain

Salk Institute Professor Rusty Gage and Assistant Professor Pallav Kosuri were awarded $1.3 million by the W. M. Keck Foundation to fund a novel investigation into the way brain and heart cell functions decline over time due to ribosubstitution events—cellular repair of DNA damage with RNA building blocks rather than DNA building blocks. The award combines the biological discovery of ribosubstitution made by Senior Research Associate Jeff Jones in Gage’s lab with the technological advancements established by Postdoctoral Researcher Yuening Liu in Kosuri’s lab.

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Salk Institute’s Terrence Sejnowski named Scientist of the Year by ARCS San Diego

Salk Institute Professor Terrence Sejnowski was named 2024 Scientist of the Year by the ARCS Foundation of San Diego. The ARCS (Achievement Rewards for College Students) San Diego chapter is honoring Sejnowski for his pioneering research in neural networks and computational neuroscience. ARCS will hold a special event to bestow the Scientist of the Year award to Sejnowski on April 27, 2024, at the Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center in La Jolla, California.

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Salk Distinguished Professor Emeritus Roger Guillemin, Nobel Prize laureate, celebrates 100th birthday

Roger Guillemin, Salk Distinguished Professor Emeritus and recipient of the 1977 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, celebrated turning 100 years old on January 11. The neuroendocrinology pioneer is a treasured member of the Salk community, deeply appreciated both for his many achievements and for his loyal friendship and mentorship even after retirement.

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Salk scientist wins Scientific Innovations Award from Brain Research Foundation

Brain Research Foundation has awarded Associate Professor Eiman Azim with $150,000 to study how brain circuits drive adaptation in a changing world. He will look at how the brain sorts through the shifting circumstances of the world around it and identify what pathways are used in that process. His findings will create a clearer picture of how these flexible pathways can contribute to disease and disorder.

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INSIDE SALK

Salk's award-winning magazine | winter edition

Inside Salk Winter 2023 is now available! This edition of Inside Salk celebrates the people that make Salk the prestigious and powerful research institute. We feature Salk’s Education Outreach team, and share captivating stories from faculty members, postdoctoral researchers, and staff members. We also celebrate this season’s exciting discoveries, awards, and events on-campus. Sign up to receive the print edition in the mail or read it online. The new issue will be available soon online.

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This month, Associate Professor Sung Han found a novel brain circuit that mediates panic disorder, which is mediated by a neuropeptide called PACAP.

Here, mouse brain neurons involved in the panic circuit express targets for the PACAP neuropeptide (red), while others do not (blue)—illustrating the location of this pathway in the brain.

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