Research
Our goal is to determine how the brain regulates aging and resitance to stress
We study the mechanisms of aging in the nematode C. elegans at the cellular, tissue, and whole-organism levels .
We use new enabling technologies, including automated lifespan measurement and live imaging of protein oxidation.
Our work is interdisciplinary, combining molecular genetics, quantitative microscopy, mathematical modeling, and engineering.
We aim to uncover fundamental principles governing aging, which could lead to new therapies for aging-related human diseases.
People
Lab Members
Javier Apfeld
Associate Professor
PhD in Biochemistry, University of California, San Francisco, 1999
BSc in Biology, MIT, 1994
Daniel Shaw
Graduate Student
MS in Biology, University College London, 2021
Casey Tsimbal
Graduate Student
BS in Biology, Suffolk University, 2019
Allison Sciarratta
Graduate Student
BS in Biology, University of Massachusetts, 2024
Mia Flack
Graduate Student
BS in Biology, University of South Carolina, 2024
Naadia Rashid
Undergraduate Student
Northeastern University
Xiangting Xu
Undergraduate Student
Northeastern University
Margery Ho
Biotechnology Master's Student
BSc Global Disease Biology, UC Davis, 2023
Maximillian Bozack
Undergraduate Co-op Student
Northeastern University
Thea Carr
Undergraduate Student
Northeastern University
Avery Kelly
Undergraduate Student
Northeastern University
Antonia Bellapianta
Undergraduate Student
Northeastern University
Ambreen Joy
Undergraduate Student
Northeastern University
Sophie O'Driscoll
Undergraduate Student
Northeastern University
Andrew Braunstein
Undergraduate Student
Northeastern University
Laila Copeland
Undergraduate Student
Northeastern University
Grayson Plourde
Undergraduate Student
Northeastern University
Mariana Roa
Undergraduate Student
Northeastern University
Anna Pociu
Undergraduate Student
Northeastern University
Alison Hines
Undergraduate Student
Northeastern University
Ashley Yu
Undergraduate Student
Northeastern University
Vianna Truong
Undergraduate Student
Northeastern University
Lab Alumni
Yuyan Xu
Graduate Student 2019 - 2025
Application Scientist, Megarobo Tech
Frank Servello
Graduate Student 2017 - 2022
Research Scientist, Generate:Biomedicines
Jodie Schiffer
Graduate Student 2015 - 2021
Research Scientist, Vertex Pharmaceuticals
Maya Gelbard
Postdoctoral Fellow 2025 - 2026
Alyson Fulton
Master's Student 2022 - 2024
Science Teacher, The Rivers School
Dante Ashih
Research Technician and Undergraduate Volunteer 2024 - 2026
Graduate Student, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Meha Macwan
Research Technician and Undergraduate Volunteer 2023 - 2026
Graduate Student, Drexel University
Sean Johnsen
Research Technician and Undergraduate Thesis 2017 - 2020
Graduate Student, University of North Carolina,Chapel Hill
William Heath
Research Technician 2015 - 2018
Maintenance Engineer, Partner Therapeutics, WA
Maria Khalid
Graduate Rotation Student 2021
Graduate Student,
Erin Cram's lab, Northeastern University
Charles Linskey
Graduate Rotation Student 2018
Graduate Student,
Dori Woods' lab, Northeastern University
Brian Nguyen
Graduate Rotation Student 2016
Graduate Student,
Veronica Godoy's lab, Northeastern University
Perla Castañeda
Graduate Rotation Student 2016
Scientist, Discovery Biology
Mirjam Kreutz
MS Exchange Student 2024 - 2025
MS Student, Leibniz Universität Hannover
Kim Lühmann
MS Exchange Student 2018 - 2019
Graduate Student, Universität Hamburg
Juli Stanley
Undergraduate Thesis 2015 - 2020
Graduate Student, MIT
Hannah Tam
Undergraduate Thesis 2015 - 2019
Graduate Student, Harvard Medical School
Eyob Gebeyaw
Undergraduate Volunteer 2022 - 2026
Undergraduate Student, Northeastern University
Gabrielle Martin
Undergraduate Volunteer 2024 - 2026
Undergraduate Student, Northeastern University
Caralena Genova
Undergraduate Volunteer 2025 - 2026
Undergraduate Student, Northeastern University
Sophia Sachs
Undergraduate Volunteer 2023 - 2025
Undergraduate Student, Northeastern University
Daniel Carolan
Undergraduate Volunteer 2024 - 2025
Undergraduate Student, Northeastern University
Danielle Berdichevsky
Undergraduate Volunteer 2024 - 2025
Undergraduate Student, Northeastern University
Chloe Zenker
Undergraduate Volunteer 2024 - 2025
Undergraduate Student, Northeastern University
Bryce Hochstetler
Undergraduate Volunteer 2024 - 2025
Medical Assistant, Riverchase Dermatology
Sophia Pavlidis
Undergraduate Volunteer 2024 - 2025
Undergraduate Student, Northeastern University
Leena Gupta
Undergraduate Volunteer 2024 - 2025
Undergraduate Student, Northeastern University
Isidora Beslic
Undergraduate Volunteer 2023 - 2025
Undergraduate Student, Northeastern University
Justin Hippler
Undergraduate Volunteer 2023 - 2024
Undergraduate Student, Northeastern University
Olivia Liu
Undergraduate Volunteer 2022 - 2024
Undergraduate Student, Northeastern University
Meagan Duncan
Undergraduate Volunteer 2021 - 2023
Undergraduate Student, Northeastern University
Aishwarya Sood
Undergraduate Volunteer 2022 - 2023
Undergraduate Student, Northeastern University
Abigail Binkley
Undergraduate Volunteer 2023
Undergraduate Student, Northeastern University
Kokob Tesfay
Undergraduate Volunteer 2023
Undergraduate Student, Northeastern University
Vivek Kanpa
Undergraduate Volunteer 2022 - 2023
Graduate Student, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Omar Van Eer
Undergraduate Volunteer 2021 - 2023
Software Engineer,
Viken Detection
Katerina Gusarova
Undergraduate Volunteer 2022
Research Technician, Tsai lab, MIT
Anders Lindberg
Undergraduate Volunteer 2019 - 2022
Medical Student, Albany Medical College
Stephanie Stumbur
Undergraduate Volunteer 2016 - 2021
Medical Student, University of Louisville
Niket Patel
Undergraduate Volunteer 2019-2021
Undergraduate Student, Northeastern University
Nathan Gong
Undergraduate Volunteer 2019 - 2020
Software Engineer, Medtronic
Nicholas LoRocco
Undergraduate Volunteer 2019 - 2020
MD/PhD Student, University of Chicago
Nithin Chintala
Undergraduate Volunteer 2019 - 2020
Software Engineer, Schrödinger
Natalie McGowan
Undergraduate Volunteer 2016 - 2019
Fulbright Scholar, New South Wales, Australia
Pranav Prabhala
Undergraduate Volunteer 2018 - 2019
Research Associate, Wyss Institute
Jodie Wong
Undergraduate Volunteer 2018 - 2019
Research Associate, Ribon Therapeutics
William Serkin
Undergraduate Volunteer 2018
Research Associate, eGenesis
Paula Hornstein
Undergraduate Volunteer 2018
Research Coordinator, Keck Medicine of USC
Orna Lynch
Undergraduate Volunteer 2018
Research Associate, Cellarity
Sarah Brennan
Undergraduate Volunteer 2016 - 2018
Medical Assistant, South Shore Skin Center
Whitney Vullemier
Undergraduate Volunteer 2017
Research Associate, Sanofi Molecular Oncology
Abigail Vogelaar
Undergraduate Volunteer 2016 - 2017
Research Associate, C4 Therapeutics
Stephanie Su
Undergraduate Volunteer 2017
Mechanical Engineer, Joby Aviation
Matea Zelich
REU Student 2022
Research Technician, Cornell University
Tosin Banjo
REU Student 2021
MD/PhD student, University of Texas MD Anderson
Nohelly Derosiers
REU Student 2019
Graduate Student, University of Pennsylvania
Jalen Rose
REU Student 2018
Undergraduate Student, North Carolina State University
Destiney Kirby
REU Student 2017
Family Medicine Resident, Columbia University
Kumael Jafri
High School Student 2017
Medical Student, Albany Medical College
Haley Wong
Summer Student 2025
Undergraduate Student, UCLA
Harim Kim
Summer Student 2016
Internal Medicine Resident, University of Maryland Medical Center
Alex Schiffer
Intern 2016
Senior Research Associate, BioRemix Therapeutics
Publications
The C. elegans nervous system reads the internal state of the hydrogen peroxide-detoxification machinery to trigger escape from this common reactive chemical
Xu Y, Gangadharan S, Seyedolmohadesin M, Gebeyaw E, Fulton A, Ashih D, Duncan M, Zelich M, Liu J, Torkashvand M, Shaw D, Gusarova K, Macwan M, Kelly A, Beslic I, Sood A, Liu O, Scholz M, Venkatachalam V, Apfeld J*. bioRxiv (2026).
*Co-corresponding and co-last author.
[bioRxiv]
Keeping in touch with the road not taken
Apfeld J. Nature Structural and Molecular Biolology (2024).
[article]
Neuronal temperature perception induces specific defenses that enable C. elegans to cope with the enhanced reactivity of hydrogen peroxide at high temperature
Servello FA, Fernandes R, Eder M, Harris N, Martin O, Oswal N, Lindberg A, Derosiers N, Sengupta P, Stroustrup N, Apfeld J. eLife (2022).
[article | supplement | bioRxiv]
Modulation of sensory perception by hydrogen peroxide enables Caenorhabditis elegans to find a niche that provides both food and protection from hydrogen peroxide
Caenorhabditis elegans processes sensory information to choose between freeloading and self-defense strategies
Schiffer J, Servello F, Heath W, Amrit FR, Stumbur S, Eder M, Martin O, Johnsen S, Stanley J, Tam H, Brennan S, McGowan N, Vogelaar A, Xu Y, Serkin W, Ghazi A, Stroustrup N, and Apfeld J. eLife (2020).
[article | supplement | bioRxiv | accompanying eLife digest]
The heat shock transcription factor HSF-1 protects Caenorhabditis elegans from
peroxide stress
Servello F and Apfeld J. Translational Medicine of Aging (2020).
[article | supplement | bioRxiv]
What can we learn about human disease from the nematode C. elegans?
Apfeld J and Alper S. Methods in Molecular Biology (2018).
[article]
Age-dependence and aging-dependence: Neuronal loss and lifespan in a C. elegans model of Parkinson's disease
Apfeld J* and Fontana W. Biology (2017).
*Co-corresponding and co-last author.
[article | supplement | movie | bioRxiv]
The temporal scaling of Caenorhabditis elegans ageing
Stroustrup N, Anthony WE, Nash ZM, Gowda V, Gomez A, López-Moyado IF, Apfeld J*, Fontana W. Nature (2016).
*Co-last author.
[article | supplement | tables | accompanying news and views]
Regulated spatial organization and sensitivity of cytosolic protein oxidation in Caenorhabditis elegans
Romero-Aristizabal C, Marks DS, Fontana W, Apfeld J*. Nature Communications (2014).
*Co-corresponding and co-last author.
[article | supplement]
An insulin-to-insulin regulatory network orchestrates phenotypic specificity in development and physiology
Fernandes de Abreu D, Caballero A, Fardel P, Stroustrup N, Chen Z, Lee K, Keyes WD, Nash ZM, López-Moyado IF, Vaggi F, Cornils A, Regenass M, Neagu A, Ostojic I, Liu C, Cho Y, Sifoglu D, Fontana W, Lu H, Csikasz-Nagy A, Murphy C, Antebi A, Blanc E, Apfeld J*, Zhang Y, Alcedo J, Ch'ng Q. PLoS Genetics (2014).
*Co-corresponding and co-last author.
[article]
The Caenorhabditis elegans Lifespan Machine
Stroustrup N, Ulmschneider BE, Nash ZM, López-Moyado IF, Apfeld J*, Fontana W. Nature Methods (2013).
*Co-corresponding and co-last author.
[article | supplement]
Pre-2013 publications
Hulme SE, Shevkoplyas SS, McGuigan AP, Apfeld J, Fontana W, Whitesides GM. Lifespan-on-a-chip: microfluidic chambers for performing lifelong observation of elegans. Lab on a Chip (2010).
Alper S, McElwee MK, Apfeld J, Lackford B, Freedman JH, Schwartz DA. The Caenorhabditis elegans germ line regulates distinct signaling pathways to control lifespan and innate immunity. J Biol Chem (2010).
Hulme SE, Shevkoplyas SS, Apfeld J, Fontana W, Whitesides GM. A microfabricated array of clamps for immobilizing and imaging elegans. Lab on a Chip (2007).
Bordone L, Motta MC, Picard F, Robinson A, Jhala US, Apfeld J, McDonagh T, Lemieux M, McBurney M, Szilvasi A, Easlon EJ, Lin SJ, Guarente L. Sirt1 regulates insulin secretion by repressing UCP2 in pancreatic beta cells. PLoS Biology (2006).
Apfeld J*, O’Connor G, McDonagh T, DiStefano PS, Curtis R. The AMP-activated protein kinase AAK-2 links energy levels and insulin-like signals to lifespan in elegans. Genes and Development (2004). * Corresponding author.
Francis R, McGrath G, Zhang J, Ruddy DA, Sym M, Apfeld J, Nicoll M, Maxwell M, Hai B, Ellis MC, Parks AL, Xu W, Li J, Gurney M, Myers RL, Himes CS, Hiebsch R, Ruble C, Nye JS, Curtis D. aph-1 and pen-2 are required for Notch pathway signaling, gamma-secretase cleavage of betaAPP, and presenilin protein accumulation. Developmental Cell (2002).
Arantes-Oliveira N, Apfeld J, Dillin A, Kenyon C. Regulation of Lifespan by germ-line stem-cells in Caenorhabditis elegans. Science (2002).
Apfeld J, Kenyon C. Regulation of lifespan by sensory perception in Caenorhabditis elegans. Nature (1999). Accompanying News & Views in Nature.
Apfeld J, Kenyon C. Cell nonautonomy of elegans daf-2 function in the regulation of diapause and life span. Cell (1998). Featured on the cover of Cell, with accompanying Minireview.
Finer-Moore JS; Liu L; Birdsall DL; Brem R; Apfeld J; Santi DV; Stroud RM. Contributions of orientation and hydrogen bonding to catalysis in Asn229 mutants of thymidylate synthase. Journal of Molecular Biology (1998).
Curtis D; Apfeld J; Lehmann R. nanos is an evolutionarily conserved organizer of anterior-posterior polarity. Development (1995).Links to publications
Google Scholar
ORCID iD
Our values
We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive research community
Thanks to Sammy Katta for putting together this beautiful poster that captures our values
Pictures
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@worm_immortality_team
Lab contact information
Email
j.apfeld [at] northeastern.edu
Call
Lab: (617) 373-2120
Office: (617) 373-4495
Visit or Ship
Lab: Mugar 409
Office: Mugar 211C
Ship: 205 Mugar Life Sciences Building
360 Huntington Ave.
Boston, MA 02115
