Dr. Collin Ewald
Dr. Collin Ewald
Lecturer at the Department of Health Sciences and Technology
ETH Zürich
Additional information
Research area
Global Challenge: Age-dependent diseases
By 2030 almost every fourth person will be 65 or older in Switzerland, Europe, and USA. Since old age is the main risk factor for developing cancer, neurodegenerative, cardiovascular, and metabolic diseases, as well as other age-related pathologies, the growing elderly population poses an immense social and financial challenge.
Strategic Goal: To identify novel strategies to improve human healthspan.
Using C. elegans as a pioneering system to model the aging process because of its ease for genetic manipulation, high evolutionary conservation of genes implicated in human diseases, and short lifespan (3 weeks). Importantly, using C. elegans lifespan assays as a read-out for extension of healthspan is a tractable and fast approach for discovering novel mechanisms that confer healthy aging. Several fundamental mechanisms discovered in C. elegans have been shown to delay age-related pathologies in higher organisms, such as mice, and these mechanisms have major implications for humans aging. Hence, by using C. elegans to model the aging process we could rapidly identify strategies to improve human healthspan.
Research: Currently, the lab focuses on exploring a novel and exciting mechanism that promotes healthy aging.
Our recent work has shown that many health- and longevity-promoting interventions re-activate the expression of extracellular matrix (ECM) genes during aging (Ewald et al., Nature 2015, PMID:25517099). This ECM enhancement is required and sufficient for extending the lifespan of C. elegans. Our research efforts are focusing on exploring the mechanism(s) of how prolonged ECM homeostasis promotes healthy aging.
EDUCATION
2011 Ph.D., Neuroscience, City University of New York, USA
2008 M.Phil., Biology, City University of New York, USA
2007 M.Sc., Molecular Biology, University of Basel, Switzerland
2005 B.Sc., Molecular Biology, University of Basel, Switzerland
2001 Matura, Mathematics, Gymnasium am Kirschgarten, Basel, Switzerland
1999 Student Exchange, Eldorado High School, Las Vegas, USA
RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
2016- Assistant Professor at Eidgenössischen Technischen Hochschule Zürich, Switzerland
2015-2016 Instructor in Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA
2015-2016 Visiting Scholar at Whitehead Institute (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), Cambridge, USA
2015-2016 Research Associate (Junior Faculty Member) in the Research Division at the Joslin Diabetes Center, Boston, USA
2011-2014 Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Medicine at Joslin Diabetes Center/ Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA, Laboratory of Dr. T. Keith Blackwell.
· Discovered that reduced insulin/IGF-1 signaling extends lifespan via two genetically distinct pathways
· Demonstrated that almost all longevity interventions require and invest in replenishing of extracellular matrix components
· Identified a transcription factor (ATF-5) that is required and sufficient to increase lifespan when protein translation is reduced
2006-2011 Graduate Research fellow, Neuroscience, City University of New York, USA.
Doctoral Thesis: “Multifunctional roles of APL-1 in C. elegans”. Thesis Adviser: Dr. Chris Li.
· Found that overexpression of the extracellular domain of APL-1 (Amyloid Precursor Protein-like 1) modulates development, metabolism, lifespan, and learning in C. elegans.
2005-2006 Master’s research, Friedrich Miescher Institute (FMI) for Biomedical Research, University of Basel and part of the Novartis Research Foundation, Switzerland.
Laboratories of Dr. Joy Alcedo and Dr. Nancy E. Hynes.
· Characterized memo-1 (mediator of ErbB2-driven cell motility 1) as anovel regulator of NADPH-oxidase activity in C. elegans.
Membership
| Since | Membership |
|---|---|
| 2017 | Swiss Society for Aging Research |
| 2016 | Swiss Society for Matrix Biology |
Honours
| Year | Distinction |
|---|---|
| 2015 | Genetics Society of America (GSA) s DeLill Nasser Award for Professional Development in Genetics |
Additional information
SELECTED PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS (7 out of 8)
1. Ewald, C.Y., Marfil, V., Li, C. (2016). Alzheimer-related Protein APL-1 modulates lifespan through heterochronic gene regulation in Caenorhabditis elegans. Aging Cell in press.
2. Ewald, C.Y., Landis, J.N., Porter Abate, J., Murphy, C.T., Blackwell, T.K. (2015). Dauer-independent insulin/IGF-1 signalling implicates collagen remodelling in longevity. Nature 519, 97–101. doi: 10.1038/nature14021
Joslin News release video [link], Science Daily [link], MedicalXpress [link], The Scientist: Long Live Collagen [link], TV interview, 7vor7, TeleBasel, Switzerland [link], Radio interview, SWR2 (Südwestrundfunk) German Public Radio [link], Honoree mentioning from American Federation For Aging Research [link]
3. Ewald, C.Y., Cheng, R., Tolen, L., Shah, V., Gillani, A., Nasrin, A., Li, C. (2012). Pan-neuronal expression of APL-1, an APP-related protein, disrupts olfactory, gustatory and touch plasticity in Caenorhabditis elegans. J Neurosci. 32: 10156-69. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0495-12.2012. PMID: 22836251, PMCID:PMC3698849
4. Ewald, C.Y., Raps D.A., Li, C. (2012). APL-1, the Alzheimer’s Amyloid precursor protein in Caenorhabditis elegans, modulates multiple metabolic pathways throughout development. Genetics 191: 493-507. doi: 10.1534/genetics. 112.138768. PMID: 22466039, PMCID: PMC3374313
Issue highlights: Genetics June 2012 191:NP [link], BBC news: Alzheimer’s gene ‘diabetes link’. 14 June 2012 [link], Wallstreet-online (Germany) [link]
5. Ewald, C.Y. & Li, C. (2012). The secreted Alzheimer-related protein fragment has an essential role in Caenorhabditis elegans. Prion 6: 433-6. doi: 10.4161/pri.22310. PMID: 23044509, PMCID: PMC3510856
6. Ewald, C.Y. & Li, C. (2012). Caenorhabditis elegans as a model organisms to study APP function. Invited Review article for the 2012 special issue on "The physiological functions of APP". Experimental Brain Research 217: 397-411. doi: 10.1007/s00221-011-2905-7. PMID: 22038715, PMCID: PMC3746071
7. Ewald, C.Y. & Li, C. (2010). Understanding the molecular basis of Alzheimer's disease using a Caenorhabditis elegans model system. Brain Structure and Function 214(2-3):263-83. doi: 10.1007/s00429-009-0235-3. PMID: 20012092, PMCID: PMC3902020
Course Catalogue
Spring Semester 2024
| Number | Unit |
|---|---|
| 376-0302-00L | Practicing Translational Science |