Jan Karlseder

Jan Karlseder is the Vice President, Chief Science Officer, and Professor at the Salk Institute for Biological Studies, holding the Donald and Darlene Shiley Chair in the Molecular and Cell Biology Laboratory. His research focuses on telomeres, DNA repair mechanisms, and their roles in aging and cancer prevention. He leads a lab exploring telomere dynamics, genomic instability, and tumor suppression pathways. Key achievements include discovering autophagy's role in eliminating cells with dysfunctional telomeres and elucidating telomere-to-mitochondria signaling.

Education: BS in Biology (University of Innsbruck, Austria), PhD in Molecular Biology (University of Vienna), and postdoctoral training at The Rockefeller University, NY.

Research interests center on telomere biology, cellular senescence, and cancer initiation. His work reveals how telomere shortening triggers proliferative boundaries, inhibiting tumor development. Collaborative studies include high-resolution telomere sequencing and mechanisms linking telomeres to innate immunity.

Scientific awards include the Glenn Award (2009) and Forbeck Scholar Award (2002). Over 150 publications span telomere regulation, replicative crisis, and autophagy's tumor-suppressive roles. His lab supports postdocs, graduate students, and technicians, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to aging and cancer biology.