The Sixth Annual Symposium of the Midwest Aging Consortium

Ines Sturmlechner ^1,2, Sarah A Ashiqueali ^2,3, Hélène Martini

¹Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
²Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
³Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
⁴Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
⁵Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
⁶Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
⁷Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
⁸Department of Medicine, Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolism, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
⁹Masonic Institute on the Biology of Aging and Metabolism, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
¹⁰Paul F. Glenn Center for Biology of Aging Research at Mayo Clinic, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
¹¹Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
¹²Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
¹³William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, Madison, WI, USA.
¹⁴Cell and Molecular Biology Graduate Program, Madison, WI, USA.
¹⁵Wisconsin Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging, Madison, WI, USA.
¹⁶Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA.
¹⁷Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
¹⁸Nutrition and Metabolism Graduate Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
¹⁹Abrams Research Center on Neurogenomics, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
²⁰The Ken & Ruth Davee Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
²¹Department of Pathology, University of Michigan School of Medicine, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
²²University of Michigan Geriatrics Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
²³Center for Immunology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
²⁴Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics Graduate Program, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
²⁵Department of Microbial Infection and Immunity, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
²⁶Center for Genomics of Neurodegenerative Disease, New York Genome Center, New York, NY, USA.
²⁷Department of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
²⁸Center for Motor Neuron Biology and Disease, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, NY, USA.
²⁹Department of Medicine, Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
³⁰Department of Molecular Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
³¹Department of Urology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
³²Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
³³Molecular and Cellular Pathology Graduate Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
³⁴Geroge M. Obrien Center for Benign Urologic Research, University of Wisconsin- Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
³⁵Department of Molecular and Integrative Physiology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
³⁶Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
³⁷Department of Genetics, Development and Cell Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA.
³⁸Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Geriatrics, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA.
³⁹Landon Center on Aging, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA.
⁴⁰Research Service, VA Kansas City Healthcare System, Kansas City, MO, USA.
⁴¹Department of Medicine, Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
⁴²Department of Medicine, Division of Rheumatology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA.
⁴³Department of Biological Chemistry and Pharmacology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
⁴⁴The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
⁴⁵Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
⁴⁶Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.

⁰Department of Immunology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.

The Journals of Gerontology. Series a, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences +

|

December 22, 2025

View abstract on PubMed

Summary

The Midwest Aging Consortium (MAC) fosters collaboration among geroscience researchers, accelerating the discovery and translation of aging mechanisms into clinical interventions. Their annual symposium showcases cutting-edge research and therapeutic concepts.

Area Of Science

Geroscience
Translational Aging Research
Interdisciplinary Collaboration

Background

The Midwest Aging Consortium (MAC), established in 2019, serves as a collaborative platform for aging researchers in the Midwest.
The MAC promotes interdisciplinary approaches, team science, and collaborations to advance aging research.
The Sixth Annual Research Symposium of the MAC convened researchers, trainees, and early career investigators.

Purpose Of The Study

To highlight the MAC's role in fostering collaboration and idea exchange among aging researchers.
To showcase advancements in understanding aging mechanisms and developing clinical interventions.
To emphasize the translational potential of geroscience research.

Main Methods

The Sixth Annual Research Symposium featured presentations on key aging mechanisms.
Cutting-edge methodologies such as single-cell and spatial transcriptomics, metabolomics, and organoid cultures were presented.
Discussions included new therapeutic concepts and clinical trial approaches for aging.

Main Results

The symposium featured interdisciplinary research on lipid metabolism, mitochondrial dysfunction, stress response, cellular senescence, and immune adaptations.
New therapeutic concepts and clinical trial approaches were presented.
Advanced methodologies were showcased for dissecting aging processes in tissue-specific and systemic contexts.

Conclusions

The MAC symposium underscored the significant translational potential of geroscience.
The event reinforced the MAC's mission to accelerate aging research through regional collaboration and innovation.
The symposium highlighted the collaborative environment created by the MAC for aging researchers.

Keywords:

Midwest Aging Consortium aging geroscience immunity metabolism senescence stress response