Cynthia Kenyon
Cynthia Kenyon
Cynthia Jane Kenyonis an American molecular biologist and biogerontologist known for her genetic dissection of aging in a widely used model organism, the roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionScientist
CountryUnited States of America
ideas unexpected ageing
The idea that ageing was subject to control was completely unexpected.
kids looked quite realize seeking time took truth
I was one of those kids who was always seeking the truth, and I first looked for truth by reading novels. It took quite a long time for me to realize there are better ways.
age family mistaken people younger
One thing that's likely: How you look as you age is hereditary. Some of my family members, for example, look younger than their real age. And people have mistaken me for 30, even 25.
science steer wrong
With science it's very important not to go down the wrong path, but the wrong path in science is a path you go down where everything you learn is already known. So you need to steer around the obvious.
becomes cells dividing unlikely worm
It is unlikely that changes in telomeres are influencing the lifespan of the worm. That is because telomeres only shorten when cells divide. Most of the cells of the worm stop dividing when the worm becomes an adult.
normal mutation worms
In the early '90s, we discovered mutations that could double the normal life span of worms.
use way aging
If the aging process is controlled in a similar way in worms and humans, then we can use what we learn about worms to speed our study of higher organisms.
age disease increase
The hope is that if we can increase youthfulness, we can postpone age-related diseases.
made escalators
It was like stepping on to an escalator; I could do anything. I was just made for science.
long normal mutants
If I were a worm, I would rather be the long-lived mutant than the normal worm, that's for sure.
numbers risk age
Age is the single largest risk factor for an enormous number of diseases. So if you can essentially postpone aging, then you can have beneficial effects on a whole wide range of disease.
careers two healthy
You could have two completely different careers if you could stay healthy to 90. How fascinating that would be.
thrill kicks learning-new-things
I have always gotten a thrill, a kick, from learning new things.
nice people too-short
Life's too short to not be around nice people.