Basic Research
Basic Research: In close collaboration with the Palo Alto Veterans Health Administration’s Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center (GRECC), most of our basic research collaborations include our GRECC investigators, Drs. Bill Robinson, Jonathan Maltzman, and Katrin Chua. The researchers grouped in this category may also conduct patient oriented research (e.g. research with human participants), but much of their research occurs in a basic science laboratory.
Katrin Chua, MD, PhD
GRECC Researcher
Dr. Katrin Chua has led a GRECC research program elucidating fundamental molecular mechanisms of aging and age-associated diseases since 2005, with a joint appointment as Professor of Medicine at the Stanford School of Medicine. She also serves as Co-Director of the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP) at Stanford.
Dr. Chua earned her B.A. in Biochemistry from Harvard University and her MD and PhD from Harvard Medical School’s MSTP. Her doctoral research with Dr. Robin Reed focused on regulatory mechanisms of pre-RNA splicing, while her postdoctoral work with Dr. Fred Alt at Harvard explored DNA recombination, repair, and chromatin regulation in immunity, cancer, and aging. Dr. Chua’s research at the VAPAHCS GRECC centers on chromatin and nuclear signaling, particularly the roles of the lysine deacetylase enzymes, SIRT6 and SIRT7, in regulating genomic stability, cellular senescence, and aging-related pathologies including cancer, inflammation, and metabolic syndromes.
Jonathan S. Maltzman, MD, PhD
GRECC Researcher
Dr. Jonathan S. Maltzman is a physician-scientist with a focus on the intersection of aging and immunology, particularly in the context of solid organ transplantation. He holds a BS in Biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and earned both his MD and PhD in Immunology from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. His postgraduate training includes a residency in Internal Medicine and a fellowship in Nephrology, followed by a post-doctoral fellowship in Immunology. Dr. Maltzman holds a dual appointment as Associate Professor of Medicine at Stanford University and Staff Physician in the Geriatric Research Education and Clinical Center the VA Palo Alto Health Care System. Dr. Maltzman is a previous recipient of career awards in transplantation research from the American Society of Transplantation and is an elected member of the American Society of Clinical Investigation. Dr. Maltzman’s research investigates the effects of aging on immune responses.
William H. Robinson, MD, PhD
GRECC Researcher
Dr. Bill Robinson is Professor of Medicine with a dual appointment as the Chief of Immunology & Rheumatology in the Department of Medicine at Stanford and in the VA Palo Alto GRECC. Dr. Robinson’s laboratory’s overarching objective is to elucidate the molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying autoimmune diseases, and to leverage these insights to develop next-generation diagnostics and therapeutics. Dr. Robinson co-founded the Stanford Human Immune Monitoring Center, serves on the editorial boards of several journals, and serves on the Board of Directors of the Federation of Clinical Immunology Societies. He was elected to the American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI), the Henry Kunkel Society, and the Academy of American Physicians (AAP). Dr. Robinson received his MD and PhD degrees from Stanford University, and completed his clinical training in internal medicine at UCSF.