Diana Jurk

Diana Jurk, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Physiology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. She holds dual appointments as Senior Associate Consultant II-Research in the Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering and the Department of Neurology. She leads the Biology of Aging and Age-Related Diseases Laboratory, where her research focuses on the role of cellular senescence in aging and age-related pathologies.

Her research interests center on understanding how cellular senescence contributes to brain aging, neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, and metabolic disorders including obesity and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). She investigates the molecular mechanisms by which senescent cells impair neurogenesis, promote inflammation, and disrupt lipid metabolism. Her work has pioneered the concept that eliminating senescent cells (via senolytics) may serve as a novel therapeutic strategy for treating neuropsychiatric disorders like anxiety and depression, as well as multiple age-related comorbidities.

Dr. Jurk's laboratory employs a multidisciplinary approach combining transgenic mouse models, human clinical specimens, advanced fluorescence microscopy, high-content imaging, super-resolution microscopy, metabolomics, lipidomics, and cytometry by time of flight (CyTOF) to identify key molecular players and potential drug targets in aging pathways.

Her research is highly translational and aims to uncover common mechanisms across age-related diseases to develop interventions that extend healthy lifespan and prevent multimorbidity. No specific scientific awards are mentioned in the provided text.

• Administrative Appointments: Senior Associate Consultant II-Research, Department of Physiology and Biomedical Engineering; Senior Associate Consultant II-Research, Department of Neurology
• Research Focus: Cellular senescence in post-mitotic neurons, neuroinflammation, obesity-induced anxiety, hepatic steatosis, lipid metabolism in senescent cells, senolytic therapies

Dr. Jurk is actively involved in mentoring and training the next generation of scientists through postdoctoral fellowships and research training programs at Mayo Clinic. Her lab provides opportunities for education and training in aging research using cutting-edge technologies.

The Biology of Aging and Age-Related Diseases Laboratory at Mayo Clinic is dedicated to unraveling the fundamental biology of aging, with a strong emphasis on identifying therapeutic targets for multiple age-related conditions simultaneously. The lab bridges basic science and clinical application, contributing to the broader goals of the Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, Center for Cell Signaling in Gastroenterology (C-SiG), and the Cancer Cell Genomics, Signalling, and Metastasis Program.