Aging Research

Andrzej Bartke, PhD, professor of internal medicine and medical microbiology at Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, is exploring the effects of temperature on longevity. Bartke is an internationally renowned expert on mammalian aging. His laboratory was the first to discover that a genetic mutation in mammals could extend lifespan.

Bartke’s recent studies lead him to suspect a higher environmental temperature will reduce the gains usually exhibited by his long-lived animal models. Conversely, cooler temperature may cause metabolic characteristics associated with delayed aging – increased oxygen consumption and increased fat utilization to compensate for heat loss – that will improve endurance and potentially extend lives. The new research could reveal mechanisms that contribute to improved metabolism.