John Tower

John Tower is a Professor of Biological Sciences at the University of Southern California's Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences. His research focuses on the molecular genetics of aging in Drosophila melanogaster, with particular interest in gene expression changes during aging, oxidative stress responses, and sex-specific differences in aging processes.

Dr. Tower received his Ph.D. in Biochemistry, Cellular and Molecular Biology from The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in 1988. He completed postdoctoral training at The Carnegie Institution of Washington, Department of Embryology in Baltimore from 1988 to 1991. His academic career at USC began in 1991 as an Assistant Professor, progressing to Associate Professor in 1999, and to his current position as Professor in 2010.

Dr. Tower's research examines how gene expression changes during normal aging, with a focus on heat shock protein genes (Hsp22 and Hsp70), innate immune response genes, and mitochondrial function. His work has identified key roles for p53, sexual differentiation, and steroid hormones in regulating life span. He investigates how post-mitotic cells maintain function during aging and how stem cell populations are maintained in the ovary, with particular interest in the trade-offs between reproduction and longevity.

His recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on the effects of mifepristone (RU486) on life span, the role of sex-specific hormones in aging, and the molecular mechanisms underlying sex differences in aging processes. His research often employs Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism to understand fundamental aging mechanisms that may be conserved across species.

Dr. Tower's laboratory, the Tower Lab, develops and utilizes advanced techniques including transgenic reporter constructs, micro-array analyses, RNAseq, and 3D fluorescence video tracking to study aging processes in freely moving flies.