Positions

Overview

  • Dr. Fischer studied rainforest canopy ecology in the remote mountains of Papua New Guinea (PNG), where she worked for five years with local villagers and mining companies to establish the Mekil wildlife management area and research station on Mount Stolle. Following her work in PNG, the Wildlife Conservation Society asked her to conduct a marine survey of Lampi Island in Myanmar. The survey resulted in a management plan for the Mergui Archipelago designed to protect natural resources and the traditional subsistence and artisanal resource use of the nomadic Moken people who live in the region.

    While working at the Christensen Fund, Dr. Fischer helped to establish the endowment for the Christensen Fellowship at WCS, helped endow a similar fellowship program at the Missouri Botanical Garden and helped secure bridge funding for the Conservation and Research Center at the National Zoo. She has also worked on conservation and resources use issues in in the United States, most recently working for the Yurok Tribe. Dr. Fischer returned to aging research in 2010, when she joined the Barshop Institute for Longevity and Aging Research. She joined the Department of Biology in 2014.

    • Selected Publications

    Academic Article

    Year Title Altmetric
    2019 Loss of Neurogenesis in Aging Hydra 2019
    2018 Lifelong reduction in complex IV induces tissue-specific metabolic effects but does not reduce lifespan or healthspan in mice 2018
    2018 Sex differences in aging: Genomic instability 2018
    2017 Sco2 deficient mice develop increased adiposity and insulin resistance 2017
    2017 Sustained NFκB inhibition improves insulin sensitivity but is detrimental to muscle health 2017
    2016 Sex Differences in Lifespan 2016
    2016 Measures of healthspan as indices of aging in Mice-A recommendation 2016
    2016 A cross-sectional study of male and female C57BL/6Nia mice suggests lifespan and healthspan are not necessarily correlated 2016
    2015 Corrigendum to Chronic inhibition of mTOR by rapamycin modulates cognitive and non-cognitive components of behavior throughout lifespan in mice [Neuroscience, 223, (2012), 102-113] DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2012.06.054 2015
    2015 Obesity-induced oxidative stress, accelerated functional decline with age and increased mortality in mice 2015
    2015 Health effects of long-term rapamycin treatment: The impact on mouse health of enteric rapamycin treatment from four months of age throughout life 2015
    2015 Hydra, a powerful model for aging studies 2015
    2015 Use of Nerve Conduction Velocity to Assess Peripheral Nerve Health in Aging Mice 2015
    2014 Rapamycin extends life and health in C57BL/6 mice 2014
    2014 ERapa restores a normal life span in a FAP mouse model 2014
    2013 Modulation of methuselah expression targeted to Drosophila insulin-producing cells extends life and enhances oxidative stress resistance 2013
    2013 Short-term treatment with rapamycin and dietary restriction have overlapping and distinctive effects in young mice 2013
    2012 Chronic inhibition of mammalian target of rapamycin by rapamycin modulates cognitive and non-cognitive components of behavior throughout lifespan in mice 2012
    2011 Attenuation of liver insoluble protein carbonyls: Indicator of a longevity determinant? 2011
    2011 The development of small primate models for aging research 2011
    1993 Frugivores and fruit syndromes: differences in patterns at the genus and species level 1993
    1992 Primate longevity: Its place in the mammalian scheme 1992
    1991 Mammalian aging, metabolism, and ecology: Evidence from the bats and marsupials 1991

    Research Overview

  • Why organisms age and why they age at widely varying rates are fundamental biological questions. Dr. Fischer’s work focuses on the comparative biology of aging using differences between sexes, between sexual and asexual forms and among different strains of the same species; between different species and across widely divergent taxa. Identifying the underlying physiological, cellular, and molecular mechanisms that account for such differences will provide insights into both proximate and ultimate causes of aging. Her primarily interest is in finding ways to improve health during aging, so that people live healthier not just longer lives.

    Historically, the focus of aging research has been lifespan, rather than the quality of life. Science, medicine, and public health have increased human lifespan in industrialized countries during the past century; however, this growing population of elders has not been able to maintain their health and vitality during their later years. For many, the net result has been a longer life to be endured in a state of increased dependency and debility. For our elders and for society as a whole, this is a pressing problem that must be addressed using all the tools at our disposal.

    Biology of Aging, Sex Differences, Evolution, Ecology, Animal Behavior and Conservation.

    • Principal Investigator On

    Investigator On

    Education And Training

  • Doctor of Philosophy in Biology, Harvard University 1996

    • Full Name

  • Kathleen Fischer