Coleen Murphy

Coleen T. Murphy is the James A. Elkins, Jr. Professor in the Life Sciences at Princeton University, where she holds appointments in the Department of Molecular Biology and the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics. She serves as Director of the Lewis-Sigler Institute, the Paul F. Glenn Laboratories for Aging Research, and the Simons Foundation's Collaboration on Plasticity in the Aging Brain (SCPAB). Her research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of aging, particularly how genetic pathways regulate longevity and age-related cognitive decline, using the model organism Caenorhabditis elegans.

Murphy's work combines genomic approaches with functional analysis to dissect the transcriptional targets of longevity pathways, such as the insulin receptor/FOXO pathway, and to identify biochemical mechanisms underlying lifespan extension. Recent studies have explored transgenerational epigenetic inheritance of pathogen avoidance, neuronal CREB activity in memory regulation, and sex-specific aging processes in the brain. These projects leverage genetic tools in C. elegans and extend findings to mammalian systems for human health relevance.

Scientific Awards include the 2021 NIH Transformative Research Award and the 2021 Women in Cell Biology Award from the American Society for Cell Biology. Her lab's publications highlight collaborations across genomics, neuroscience, and epigenetics, with a focus on aging, memory, and sex-based biological differences. Key grants and programs underpinning her research include the NIH NHGRI Training Program and the QCB Graduate Program.

The Murphy Research Lab at Princeton investigates longevity genes, reproductive aging, and neuronal maintenance in aging organisms. Lab members include researchers like Rachel Kaletsky, Katherine Morillo, and Shiyi Zhou, who contribute to projects on insulin signaling, sex chromosome biology, and transgenerational epigenetic mechanisms. Lab work is conducted in the Carl Icahn Laboratory at Princeton.