Toren Finkel, MD, PhD

Prior to assuming this position in September of 2017, Dr. Finkel spent 25 years at the NIH. His positions there include Chief of the Cardiology Division, and most recently, Chief of the Center for Molecular Medicine, within the NHLBI, NIH. The Finkel lab is interested in understanding the fundamental relationship between aging and age-related diseases. Approaches involve the use of novel mouse models and cell-based strategies, including whole-genome CRISPR-based screens. A particular focus is on the intersection of mitochondrial function, metabolism, and aging. Current projects include the genetic dissection of the mitochondrial calcium uniporter complex, the role of autophagy in vascular aging, and the molecular regulation of mitophagy, including the effects of increased or decreased mitophagy on the propensity for cardiovascular disease, as well as other age-related conditions. The Finkel Lab has published approximately 200 manuscripts in journals such as Science, Nature, and the New England Journal of Medicine. Dr. Finkel is a member of the American Society for Clinical Research (ASCR), the Association of American Physicians (AAP), and a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He serves on numerous editorial boards including currently serving on the Board of Reviewing Editors for Science. Over the course of his career, he has trained more than 50 postdoctoral fellows and medical students. Many of these trainees currently hold faculty positions in various leading universities both in the US and abroad.