Date: 4 December 2025 (Thursday)
Time: 4:00 pm – 5:00 pm
Venue: Lecture Theatre 3-4, G/F, William M.W. Mong Block, 21 Sassoon Road
Host: Professor Ralf Jauch

Dr. Jerome Mertens is Associate Professor and Riford Chair for Neurodegenerative Disease and Dementia at UC San Diego’s Department of Neurosciences, and Adjunct Associate Professor at the Salk Institute. He earned his PhD at the University of Bonn, training with Oliver Brüstle, followed by postdoctoral research with Rusty Gage at Salk. Dr. Mertens’ lab models human brain aging and neurodegenerative disorders using patient-specific cell reprogramming. By directly converting human fibroblasts into induced neurons (iNs), the lab preserves donor aging signatures, and contrasts this with rejuvenated iPSC-based models. Integrating iN and iPSC approaches with functional genetics, next-generation sequencing, and multi-omics techniques, his team aims to unravel how genetic and non-genetic cellular changes drive age-related brain disease pathways.

Neurodegenerative diseases overwhelmingly impact individuals in old age, yet most disease models rely on rare genetic variants in transgenic animals, limiting insight into the complexities of human aging. While iPSC-derived neurons offer promise, their rejuvenated state fails to mirror adult and aged cell types. By directly converting patient fibroblasts into induced neurons (iNs), we preserve age-related cellular traits, making iNs a unique tool for modeling authentic brain aging. In our recent work, we evaluate how cellular aging unfolds in cell culture models compared to authentic in vivo aging of the same cell types, aiming to deepen our understanding of aging biology and develop a better understanding and improved human models for both aging itself and age-related diseases. Our research seeks to illuminate general principles of cellular aging and advance strategies for studying the dynamic human aging process in human neuronal models, to ultimately aid the development of therapies for neurodegenerative conditions.