Computational Analysis of Metabolic Alterations in Cancer and Aging

Our research focuses on computational biology with an emphasis on metabolic modeling. Our lab is currently working on the development and study of large-scale models of metabolism in a variety of human tissues, in both healthy and disease states.

Our efforts are focused on two main subjects:

1. We have generated the first model of cancer metabolism. This development has paved the way for the first large-scale computational search for new and selective metabolic drug targets in cancer (Nature/ MSB 2011) – some which are already under various stages of further experimental testing and validation (Nature 2011).
2. We have recently developed a new approach for inferring drug target for extending life span in humans (anti-aging), which are currently under experimental investigation.

Taken together,these studies and others ongoing in the lab offer new ways for harnessing computers to advance our understanding of metabolically-related human disorders, and further our ability to diagnose and treat them in a rationale-designed manner.