Evi Mercken

Evi fulfills the role of CSO at Rejuvenate Biomed and brings over 15 years of international experience in the field of aging. Her translational research has largely focused on the molecular pathways that affect the aging process in mice and man, and how interventions, such as caloric restriction (CR), new molecular entities, and defined genetic manipulations, can regulate both lifespan and healthspan (eg sirtuins, metformin). Within larger collaborative teams, she examined the impact of nuclear factor erythroid 2–related factor 2 (Nrf2) and NAD(P)H: quinone oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) on varying aspects of age-related diseases, metabolism, and carcinogenesis, including their role in the apparent clinical benefits of CR. Further, she discovered that CR in humans inhibits the PI3K/AKT pathway and promotes a younger transcriptome profile, and identified conserved and species-specific denominators in mammalian aging. She studied SIRT1 in sarcopenia using different models of muscle atrophy in genetically-modified mouse models and the role of skeletal catenins in the regulation of systemic energy metabolism and the potential protective effect of catenin inactivation against obesity and diabetes. Evi worked as postdoc at the National Institute on Aging, US, and holds a Ph.D. in Life Sciences and a master’s degree in Biological Health Sciences from Maastricht University, Netherlands.