Cynthia Kenyon, Ph.D.

Cynthia Kenyon is the vice president of aging research at Calico Research Labs, and emeritus professor of biochemistry and biophysics at the University of California San Francisco. Her lab studies the molecular basis of aging and is known for her genetic dissection of the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans. Kenyon discovered that a single-gene mutation can double the lifespan of healthy roundworms. This seminal discovery demonstrated that aging is subject to genetic control and revolutionized the understanding of this fundamental biological process. Her work has since led to the discovery of a universal hormone-signaling pathway that influences the rate of aging in many species, including humans.

Kenyon is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including the Dan David Prize, the King Faisal Prize for Medicine, the American Association of Medical Colleges Award for Distinguished Research, the Ilse & Helmut Wachter Award for Exceptional Scientific Achievement, and La Fondation IPSEN Prize. Kenyon is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a former president of the Genetics Society of America.