image: The American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2025 Sagol Network GerOmic Award for Junior Faculty: Dheeraj Roy, PhD, Assistant Professor, University at Buffalo.
Credit: AFAR
NEW YORK — The American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) is pleased to announce the recipient of the 2025 Sagol Network GerOmic Award for Junior Faculty: Dheeraj Roy, PhD, Assistant Professor, University at Buffalo. Established in 2020, the Sagol Network GerOmic Award for Junior Faculty is a one- to two-year award given to junior faculty (MDs and PhDs) to conduct aging-related Omics (GerOmics) research.
Omics is a rapidly evolving, multi-disciplinary, and emerging field that encompasses genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics. These biological disciplines use advanced technology to comprehensively analyze and quantify entire collections of biological molecules, such as DNA, RNA, proteins, and metabolites. Each of these fields offers the possibility to understand and view biology from a global perspective in a way that was previously unthinkable. Given the biological complexity and heterogeneity of the aging process, omics research can play an important role in providing important insights into the aging process and many age-related diseases.
Dr. Roy’s funded project is titled “Anterior thalamic mechanisms underlying cognitive decline with age.” Although decreased functional connectivity in the mammalian thalamus has been linked to poor cognition in aged subjects, the underlying mechanisms remain understudied. Dr. Roy’s research aims to identify cell types in the anterior thalamus linked to age-related cognitive decline, evaluate their potential for therapeutic intervention, and uncover gene targets for developing treatments that can improve cognition during aging.
“GerOmics research is essential to help unfold the complexity of biology of aging,” says Stephanie Lederman, EdM, Executive Director, AFAR. “AFAR is pleased to continue our collaboration with the Sagol Network to encourage early career investigators to focus their research on this vital emerging field."
Learn more about AFAR’s Sagol Network GerOmic Award for Junior Faculty here.
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About AFAR - The American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) is a national non-profit organization that supports and advances pioneering biomedical research that is revolutionizing how we live healthier and longer. For more than four decades, AFAR has served as the field’s talent incubator, providing $225,316,000 to 4,539 investigators at premier research institutions to date—and growing. In 2025, AFAR expects to provide approximately $12,816,000 to 79 investigators through a range of programs. A A trusted leader and strategist, AFAR also works with public and private funders to steer high quality grant programs and inter-disciplinary research networks. AFAR-funded researchers are finding that modifying basic cellular processes can delay—or even prevent—many chronic diseases, often at the same time. They are discovering that it is never too late—or too early—to improve health. This groundbreaking science is paving the way for innovative new therapies that promise to improve and extend our quality of life—at any age. Learn more at www.afar.org.
About the Sagol Network
The Sagol Network was set up by the Sagol Family with a vision to support and accelerate advanced research, education and therapy in the fields of Neuroscience & Healthy lifespan. Under the leadership of Sami Sagol, the familyset up a virtual network of schools & research centers based in leading academic and medical institutions promoting multidisciplinary projects, laboratories, and technologies. Among these, The Sagol School of Neuroscience at Tel Aviv University, Joseph Sagol Neuroscience Center at Sheba Medical Centre, Sagol Institute for Longevity Research, Weizmann Institute, The Sagol Center for Neurobiology & Ethology and Emily Sagol Center for Creative Art Therapy at Haifa University, Sagol Healthy Human Longevity Center at Bar-Ilan University, Sagol center for Brain & Mind at the IDC , The Sagol Brain center at Sourasky (Tel Aviv) medical center, The Sagol program for computational healthcare atHebrew University, Kahn-Sagol-Maccabi Health Data Science Institute and The Sagol Center for Hyperbaric Medicine &Research at Shamir Medical Center. The Sagol Network’s philanthropic efforts have also extended to 'bridge' & promote collaborations between Ivy league institutions throughout the world, with initiatives such as Sagol MIT-Weizmann Bridge program, Sagol-Kandel Brain Longevity Initiative at Columbia University, and The Sagol Center for Epigenetics of Metabolism and Aging between Monash University, in Sydney and Tel Aviv Medical Center. The Sagol Network GerOmic Award for Junior Faculty with American Federation for Aging Research exemplifies the Sagol Network’s global approach