Professor Nancy M. Bonini is a leader in neurogenetics and aging research at the University of Pennsylvania, where she holds the Florence R.C. Murray Professorship. Her work focuses on understanding how cellular state transitions shape brain aging and neurodegeneration.

Using the model organism Drosophila, her laboratory studies the aging brain with a strong systems perspective. Her research has demonstrated that neuronal mitochondrial dysfunction can drive glial senescence, and that senescent glial cells, in turn, promote lipid droplet formation, linking mitochondrial stress, senescence, and lipid metabolism within the aging nervous system. Through powerful fly genetics, her team is uncovering conserved pathways and mechanisms that protect neurons and prevent the emergence of senescent states.

At Targeting Longevity 2026, Professor Bonini will begin with a concise overview explaining why senescence has become a central focus in aging biology, before opening a broader discussion on how her experimental system contributes to understanding the mechanisms of healthy brain aging. She will emphasize conceptual shifts in the field, emerging data that challenge current thinking, and how insights from Drosophila may integrate with findings from other biological systems.

Her contribution fits squarely within the spirit of the meeting: moving beyond isolated mechanisms toward a system-level understanding of aging, where mitochondria, senescence, metabolism, and tissue coordination converge to shape long-term aging trajectories.

Targeting Longevity 2026
April 8-9, 2026
 – Berlin, Germany

www.targeting-longevity.com