Gary Ruvkun, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School. The Ruvkun lab identified some of the first ever longevity genes using the nematode C. elegans as a model and have been instrumental in deciphering the insulin/IGF-1 pathway of longevity regulation. The lab showed that longevity is regulated by insulin signaling within the nervous system, suggesting that it is the metabolism within particular neurons that are key to regulation of lifespan. They study how these neuroendocrine pathways are coupled to sensory inputs.For example,the insulinpathway is coupled to a thermosensory pathway, allowing metabolism to be coupled to temperature. We are now exploring the neural signaling pathways that couple these systems. They use powerful genetic selections to identify signaling molecules downstream of insulin-like receptors, as well as a novel insulin reception pathway that may act more broadly in animals. Another Glenn Lab Associate, Dr Ron Kahn, showed that disruption of the same insulin-signaling pathway can extend the lifespan of mice.